Berry Vacherin Recipes

VACHERIN WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND MIXED BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Draw a 9-inch circle onto each of 2 pieces of parchment. Turn over, and line baking sheets with each.
• Beat whites with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl, and continue to beat mixture until whites are very stiff and glossy and sugar is almost dissolved, 7 to 8 minutes. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Divide meringue between baking sheets and spread evenly with a rubber spatula, using circles as a guide. (Small swirls can be made for texture.)
• Place baking sheets on separate racks in oven, and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through, about 2 hours. Meringues should remain white, become crisp on the outside and bottoms, and should easily lift from the parchment. Turn off heat, and let cool in oven, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Beat cream, confectioners' sugar, and remaining teaspoon vanilla until stiff peaks form. Place 1 meringue on a serving platter, and top with half the whipped cream. Smooth evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle half the berries on top of the whipped cream, then place second meringue on top. Smooth remaining whipped cream on top of the center of the meringue. Garnish with remaining berries and currants if desired.

RASPBERRY VACHERIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190 degrees F.
• Whip the egg whites until fluffy using a standing or hand held mixer. While on high speed, add 1/2 of the sugar. Slow to low speed and add the remainder of the sugar. Beat for 3 more minutes.
• Add the raspberry powder by hand and mix with a spatula. Place the mixture into a pastry bag. Place a piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Using the pastry bag, create round domes with the mixture.
• Place in the oven at for 2 1/2 hours. Keep oven on. Remove from the oven and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Place back onto baking sheet and cook again for 1 hour at 190 degrees F.
• Let cool and store in a dry place.
• For Raspberry Sauce:
• Blend 1 basket of fresh raspberries with sugar to taste. (Frozen raspberries may be substituted).

FROZEN VACHERIN TORTE WITH RHUBARB CREAM AND STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• For meringues:
• Position racks in top third and center of oven and preheat to 250°F. Using 8-inch-diameter bowl or plate as guide, firmly trace 2 circles onto 1 sheet of parchment paper and 1 circle onto second sheet of parchment. Place papers, marked side down, on 2 baking sheets. Spray paper with nonstick spray.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat until whites are stiff and glossy. Beat in vanilla. Working in batches, spoon meringue into large pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Starting in center of each traced circle and holding tip just above paper, pipe meringue in spirals to fill circles, forming 3 rounds.
• Bake meringues until firm, dry, and pale golden, about 2 hours. Turn off oven; leave meringues in oven with door closed at least 4 hours or overnight.
• For rhubarb cream:
• Combine rhubarb, strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar, water, and lemon juice in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer until rhubarb is very tender, about 15 minutes. Puree mixture in processor. Chill until cold, about 1 hour.
• Whisk yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture thickens and instant-read thermometer registers 140°F for 3 minutes, about 7 minutes total. Chill mixture until cool, about 15 minutes. Gently fold rhubarb mixture into yolk mixture. Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream and vanilla in another large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into rhubarb mixture in 2 additions.
• Place 1 meringue disk in 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Spread 1/3 of rhubarb cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over meringue, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Top with second meringue disk, then 1/3 of rhubarb cream. Top with remaining meringue disk and rhubarb cream (cream will not spread to sides of pan). Freeze until cream is firm, about 6 hours. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover with foil; keep frozen.)
• Release cake pan sides. Serve torte with sweetened strawberries, if desired.

VACHERINS

Steps:

• Beat the whites until foamy then add the sugar and continue whipping until stiff and glossy, about 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and whip very briefly just to incorporate. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a small (1/4-inch) plain tip and pipe onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Make a small round flat base 1/2-inch in diameter, then pipe a ring of meringue at the edge of the base and spiral up to make it two rows high. Continue making vacherins in rows on the sheet pan. Dry them out on the top of an oven that has been on, or preheat the oven to 300 degrees, then turn it off and place the vacherin meringues in it 5 minutes later. Leave them over night to dry out until crisp. Using a pastry bag, pipe whipped cream in the center and top each one with a raspberry.

BERRY VACHERIN

Steps:

• MAKE THE PAVLOVA AND THE CREAM:.
• Preheat the oven to 200ºF with two racks centered.
• Trace a 9-inch circle on each of 2 pieces of parchment paper.
• Turn over, and use each piece to line a baking sheet.
• Set aside.
• Place egg whites in the clean bowl (copper, if possible) of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar; beat to combine.
• Gradually add remaining 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until whites are very stiff and glossy.
• Add 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat just until combined.
• Divide batter between the traced circles, and use an icing spatula or rubber spatula to spread evenly to the edges of the circles.
• Place baking sheets on separate racks in the oven, and bake about 3 1/2 hours, switching the upper and lower sheets every 30 minutes.
• When fully cooked, the meringues should be white and dried and crisp on the outside, yet soft and somewhat chewy inside; test by tapping the center lightly with a fork.
• Remove from oven, and let cool completely on baking sheets.
• Combine cream, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar in a chilled metal bowl; whip until cream is stiff but soft.
• Place one meringue on a serving plate, and spread 3/4 of the whipped cream over it.
• Scatter half of the berries over, and place the second meringue on top.
• Spoon remaining cream onto the center of the meringue, and heap remaining berries on top.
• Dust the top with confectioners' sugar.
• Slice the vacherin with a thin sharp knife, and serve immediately with red raspberry sauce on the side.
• RED RASPBERRY SAUCE:
• Combine raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small nonreaactive saucepan over low heat.
• Cook until berries release their juice an just start to break down, about 5 minutes.
• Use a rubber spatula to press berries through a fine sieve; discard solids.
• Let cool, and refrigerate until ready to use.

VACHERINS WITH RASPBERRY SORBET AND MIXED BERRY-CARDAMOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in bottom third and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 3 1/4- to 3 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter as template, heavily trace 4 circles on each parchment sheet. Turn parchment over so that marked side faces down (circles will show through).
• Whisk sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Using heavy-duty or handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat whites in large bowl until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Add sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until whites are very stiff and glossy, at least 4 minutes with heavy-duty mixer and 6 to 8 minutes with handheld. Scoop enough meringue into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip to fill 1/3 full. Pipe small dot of meringue under parchment in each corner of baking sheets. Press parchment onto dots.
• Starting in center of 1 marked circle, pipe meringue in continuous spiral to fill circle completely. Pipe 1 meringue circle atop edge of base circle, forming standing rim. Repeat, piping 2 more circles atop first, forming meringue cup. Pipe 3 more cups on sheet, filling bag with meringue as needed. Pipe 4 cups on second sheet.
• Bake meringues 3 hours without opening oven door (sides of meringues may settle slightly). Turn off oven; let meringues stand in closed oven over-night to dry completely. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight in single layer.)
• Whisk jam, sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and jam melts. Boil until sauce thickens and is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, whisking often, about 7 minutes. Add berries and cardamom; stir gently. Remove from heat; let stand 1 hour to thaw fruit. Cover; chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Scoop sorbet into vacherins. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap tightly; freeze. If you freeze the vacherins, the meringues will be tender and chewy rather than crisp.) Spoon sauce over. Garnish with berries and mint. Serve with remaining sauce.