Coconut Meringue Nests Recipes

MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. , Drop meringue into 8 mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-in. cups with the back of a spoon. Or place meringue mixture in pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe meringue onto parchment to form eight 3-in. cups., Bake at 275° for 45-50 minutes or until set and dry. Turn off oven and do not open door; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Fill with fruit. If desired, top with whipped cream and mint.

COCONUT EGG NESTS

Steps:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating; stir in food coloring until blended. Stir in coconut. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper into 12 mounds. Make an indentation in the center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Fill each with three jelly beans. Let stand until set.

COCONUT MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250ºF.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl with mixer on high speed 5 min. or until mixture forms soft peaks. Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating constantly after each addition until stiff peaks form. Beat additional 3 min. or until mixture is glossy. Gently stir in half the coconut.
• Spoon egg white mixture into 10 mounds on each of 2 parchment-covered baking sheets. Use back of spoon to shape each into 2-1/2-inch round, then make depression in center of each mound to resemble nest. Sprinkle remaining coconut around edges; press gently into egg white mixture to secure.
• Bake 50 min. to 1 hour or until meringues are dry and coconut is golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheets. Meanwhile, beat pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.) Stir in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Spoon pudding mixture into meringue nests just before serving; top with almonds.

COCONUT MERINGUE TREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225 ̊ F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Trace an 8-inch and a 4-inch circle on 1 sheet of parchment. Trace a 6-inch, 2-inch and 1-inch circle on the second sheet. Flip over both sheets (the circles should still be visible).
• Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and set the bowl over the saucepan (don't let the bowl touch the water). Whisk in the granulated sugar and cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture registers 165 ̊ F on an instant-read thermometer, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment; add the cream of tartar. Beat on high speed until glossy with very stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract. Reduce the speed to medium and beat until the mixer bowl is no longer hot to the touch, 2 to 3 more minutes.
• Transfer about half of the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Starting with the largest traced circle, pipe a ruffled edge around the perimeter. Use some of the remaining meringue from the bowl to fill the circle so the middle is just slightly higher than the piped border. Pipe a second smaller circle of ruffles on top to create a tiered effect. Repeat with the 6-, 4- and 2-inch circles, creating 2 tiers of ruffles on each. Pipe the 1-inch circle, finishing with a peak on top. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake until the meringues are crisp but not browned, about 2 hours. Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool in the oven.
• When ready to assemble, beat the heavy cream in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of coconut and confectioners' sugar, then beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract and whisk just to combine.
• Dust all 5 meringue tiers lightly with confectioners' sugar. Set the 8-inch layer on a serving platter or cake stand and spread a thick layer of whipped cream on top, just to where the ruffles start. Repeat with the remaining meringue layers and whipped cream, working from the largest to the smallest meringues to build the tree. Dust with more confectioners' sugar.

MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, begin whipping the egg whites with the salt at medium speed until frothy.
• Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and whip until the egg whites thicken and begin to hold their shape. Continue whipping the whites while adding the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once the sugar's been added, add the vanilla and continue to whip for 2 minutes, until stiff and glossy.
• Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and sift the confectioners' sugar over the meringue while simultaneously folding it in.
• Divide the meringue into 8 portions, evenly spaced, on the baking sheet. (They'll all fit if you arrange 3 down each side lengthwise and 2 in the center.)
• Take a spoon, dip it in water, tap off the excess, and make a hollow in the center of each meringue, like mashed potatoes in preparation for gravy.
• Bake the meringues for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and continue to let the meringues dry out in the oven for 1 hour more.
• The meringues are done when they feel dry and lift easily off the parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Variations
• Meringue nests lend themselves to many variations. Here are some of my favorites. Simply fold the additional ingredients into the meringue after adding in the confectioners' sugar.
• Cinnamon: 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Coconut: 1/2 cup (40 g) dried shredded coconut, toasted
• Cocoa Nib: 6 tablespoons (60 g) cocoa nibs
• Coffee: 1 tablespoon best-quality instant coffee (crush the crystals into a fine powder with the back of a spoon first) or espresso powder
• Chocolate: 3 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Chocolate Chip: 1/2 cup (80 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (regular or mini)
• Chocolate-Chocolate Chip: 3 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and 1/3 cup (60 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (regular or mini)
• Green Tea and Black Sesame: 1 1/2 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder) and 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
• For Almond Meringue Nests: Replace the vanilla with 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and press 2 tablespoons sliced almonds into the top of each meringue before baking.
• Storage
• Once cool, store the meringues in an absolutely airtight container until ready to serve. They can be made 1 week in advance.