Chocolate Fig And Walnut Meringue Recipes

FIG AND CHOCOLATE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to (150°C/130°C fan-forced) Or 300°F Line 3 oven trays with baking paper.
• Put egg whites and the few drops of vinegar in a clean bowl. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently fold through figs, chocolate and hazelnuts.
• Drop tablespoons of mixture onto trays, about 3cm apart. Bake for about 40 minutes or until dry to touch. Turn off oven. Leave in the oven with the door slightly ajar for about an hour. This lets the centres dry out a bit more.
• NOTE1: To toast hazelnuts - Preheat oven to (180C) 350°F In a cookie sheet, toast hazelnuts in one layer in middle of oven 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly colored and skins start to crack open. Wrap nuts in a clean dish towel and let steam 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins (don't worry about skins that don't come off) and cool completely.
• NOTE 2: The meringues are a bit crumbly, so next time I am going to bake them in pretty mini muffin papers, just on a cookie sheet. They taste fantastic, but look a bit bland. So I am going to put a bit of melted chocolate on the top and then top with a toasted hazelnut.

MERINGUES, CHOCOLATE WALNUT

Steps:

• Directions
• 1. Preheat oven to 275°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• 2. In a medium, clean, grease-free bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and whip until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, whipping until stiff but not dry peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by generously rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
• 3. Bake until completely firm and dry, but still white, about 25 minutes; you should be able to lift cookies from pan. Slide parchment onto racks to cool cookies completely.

SIMPLE FIG AND WALNUT TART

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the bottom position of the oven, put a baking stone or baking sheet on it and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line another baking sheet with parchment.
• Dust a work surface with flour, and roll the puff pastry sheet out into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle. Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet. Measure a half-inch border around it, and lightly score the border with a knife (don't cut all the way through). Prick the pastry inside the border all over with a fork (don't prick the border). Brush the pastry all over with the egg, put the baking sheet with the pastry on it on top of the preheated baking stone, and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. If you find that the pastry has puffed up in some places, use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to press it down. Let the pastry cool completely on the baking sheet. (The cooled pastry can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for 1 day.)
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and a large pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and deeply golden, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, and stir until it has been completely absorbed. Remove the skillet from the heat, and let the caramelized onions cool completely. (They can be refrigerated for 1 day.)
• Scatter the fontina all over the pastry within the border. Top with the caramelized onions, figs and walnuts. Sprinkle the whole tart with the feta, thyme and some salt and pepper. Drizzle all over with oil.
• Return the tart on the baking sheet to the oven, putting it on the preheated baking stone. Bake until the fontina melts, 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle generously with honey, and let cool for a few minutes. Cut into 16 squares, and serve.