Chocolate Ganache Meringues Recipes

MERINGUES (PLAIN AND CHOCOLATE FILLED)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Have egg whites at about 70 degrees. Beat until foamy in an electric mixer or by hand. Add vanilla. While continuing to beat, add sugar one tablespoon at a time. When the mixture stands in stiff peaks on the beater, it is ready for baking. Fill a pastry bag with mixture and pipe onto parchment covered baking sheet, using star tip to create kisses. Bake about 1 hour or longer, depending on the size. Do not remove from the oven at once, but turn off the oven, open the door and leave them for at least 5 minutes. Cool gradually, away from a draft. Remove them from the sheet when cool.
• To prepare chocolate ganache, pour hot, scalded cream over chocolate. Blend until smooth. Cool.
• To fill meringues, crush the bottom lightly with the thumb while still warm. Fill the hollows with chocolate ganache.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART WITH MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• For the pastry: Add the flour, butter, sugar and salt to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and the butter pieces are in small chunks. Add the egg yolk and mix until just combined and beginning to stick together, 15 seconds maximum.
• Remove the dough from the mixer and shape it into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 2 round discs about 5 inches each and lay them over two 4 1/2-inch mini fluted tart tins. Press the dough into the edges, trim off the excess, prick the bottoms in several places with a fork and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C/350 degrees F. Line the pastry with parchment and fill with dried beans. Bake until the pastry edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans, brush the pastry with the egg yolk and bake until the base of the pastry is golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Let cool.
• For the meringue kisses: Preheat the oven to 100 degrees C/210 degrees F.
• Add the egg whites, vinegar and cream of tartar to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until they begin to get frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. As soon as they are frothy, increase the speed to high and slowly add the sugar a teaspoon a time. Keep whisking until you have added all the sugar and the meringue is stiff and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Add some food coloring to the end of a toothpick and run it along the inside of a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
• Place the meringue in the piping bag and pipe small dollops roughly 1/2 inch in diameter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake the meringues until they are no longer glossy, have a matte finish and feel light and airy, about 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool inside with the door closed for 20 minutes. (Makes 30 to 40 meringues.)
• For the chocolate filling: Add the chocolate, butter, cream and sugar to a heat-proof bowl and place it over (but not in) a saucepan pan of simmer water. Gently stir together until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into the cooked pastry shells and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes.
• For the assembly: Place 8 to 10 meringues on top of each chocolate tart. Reserve the remaining for another use. Decorate with some sliced raspberries and basil leaves.
• If left to chill in the fridge overnight, allow the tarts to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• FOR CAKE:.
• Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat butter at medium speed until creamy.
• Add sugar and beat well.
• Add egg yolks, one at a time and beat until well blended after each addition.
• In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and 2 teaspoons flavoring.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cocoa. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture; beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition until well blended.
• Stir in the pecans and mix well.
• Fold in the beaten egg whites and pour the batter into 3 well greased 9 inch cake pans.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove cake to wire racks to cool completely.
• CREAM CHEESE FILLING:.
• Beat the first four ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
• Once the cake cools completely, spread this filling between the layers.
• GANACHE:.
• Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is melted.
• Cool until ganache becomes a spreading consistency (stirring often).
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with ganache reserving 1/2 cup.
• MERINGUES:.
• Beat the egg whites, vinegar and salt at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy.
• Gradually add sugar; beating until soft peaks form and sugar dissolves.
• Fold in chocolate.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake at 250°F for 35 minutes.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Once cool, mound meringues on top of cake to form a small mountain, beginning at the sides and working in, layering 3-4 layers high. Drizzle the meringues with the remaining ganache.
• TO SERVE THE CAKE:.
• Before cutting, remove the meringues with small tongs and use them as a garnish on each cake serving.
• TO STORE:.
• IF you have any cake left, store it in the refrigerator without the meringues. Store the meringues in an airtight container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE MERINGUES

Steps:

• In 1-quart heavy saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium heat just until cream comes to a simmer. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in butter pieces, a few at a time, until melted. Refrigerate until thickened.
• Heat oven to 200°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In medium bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, beating on high speed just until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/3 cup powdered sugar.
• In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup powdered sugar and the cocoa. Fold cocoa mixture, 1/3 at a time, into beaten egg whites. Spoon mixture into decorating bag fitted with star tip. Pipe into 24 (1 1/2-inch) rounds, about 1 inch apart, on parchment paper.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until crisp. Slide parchment paper with cookies onto cooling rack. Cool completely, about 5 minutes.
• For each sandwich cookie, spread chilled ganache on flat side of 1 meringue; top with second meringue. Meringue becomes tough if it absorbs moisture; store in a loosely covered container at room temperature. If the humidity is high, transfer to a tightly covered container.