Crisp Meringue Heart Napoleons Recipes

LEMON MERINGUE NAPOLEON WITH GINGER CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw two 4-by-13-inch rectangles about 2 inches apart on the parchment, then flip it over so it is marked-side down.
• Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and continue beating until stiff shiny peaks form, about 6 minutes. Gently fold in the confectioners' sugar with a rubber spatula (do not overmix).
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch round tip. Using the rectangles as a guide, pipe 4-inch-long lines of meringue side by side in each rectangle. (The lines should touch each other.) Transfer to the oven and bake, rotating the baking sheet occasionally, until the meringue is firm and crisp but not brown, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, make the lemon curd: Combine the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat, whisking, until thickened, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until incorporated. Transfer the curd to a small bowl, then set in a larger bowl of ice; stir occasionally until the curd is completely cool, then refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the ginger cream: Combine the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, crystallized ginger and vanilla in a bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
• Assemble the napoleon: Place a meringue rectangle on a platter. Spoon the lemon curd on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with the ginger cream. Place the other meringue rectangle on top and gently press; refrigerate 1 hour. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

ULTIMATE MERINGUE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼.
• Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
• Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
• Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
• Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy.
• Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape. Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer.
• Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
• Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.

MARBLED MERINGUE HEARTS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line baking sheets with parchment., Preheat oven to 200°. Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Remove 1/4 cup and tint pink. Lightly swirl pink mixture into remaining meringue. Fill pastry bag with meringue. Pipe 2-in. heart shapes 2 in. apart onto prepared baking sheets. , Bake until set and dry, about 20 minutes. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven until oven has completely cooled. Store in an airtight container.

MERINGUE NAPOLEONS WITH LIME ICE CREAM AND BLACKBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Make a template for meringues. First, trace a 5-inch square from cardboard and cut to size. Then trace a 3-inch square in center, and cut out with X-Acto or utility knife.
• Beat whites with salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add half of sugar, beating at high speed, and continue to beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in remaining sugar gently but thoroughly.
• Spread about 1 teaspoon meringue onto corners of each piece of parchment and turn paper over, pressing on corners to adhere parchment to baking sheets.
• Starting in 1 corner, place template flat against 1 baking sheet and spoon a heaping tablespoon meringue into center. Holding template down firmly, spread meringue evenly with offset spatula to fill opening, then gently lift template straight up from sheet to make a clean edge. Form 17 more meringues in same manner (9 per sheet), scraping excess meringue from template as necessary. Discard any leftover meringue.
• Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven until dry to the touch, very pale, and crisp, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool meringues on sheets 5 minutes, then carefully peel meringues from parchment and transfer to racks to cool.
• Purée berries with sugar (to taste) in a blender or food processor, then force through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove seeds.
• Sprinkle 6 meringue squares with confectioners sugar. Put 1 unsugared meringue square on each of 6 plates and top with small scoops of ice cream and berries, then cover with a sugared meringue square. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream onto each napoleon and grate a bit of lime zest over top. Divide sauce among plates.

CRISPY BAKED MERINGUES

Steps:

• Whip the egg whites and salt into peaks.
• Add the vanilla, and continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
• In a separate bowl, stir the cream of tartar into the regular sugar and whisk into the whites very gradually, a spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and the sugar has dissolved.
• Sift together the icing sugar and cornstarch. Sift over the meringue and gently fold until fully incorporated.
• Pipe or spoon the meringues onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Each meringue should be about the size of a bar of soap.
• Bake at 225ºF/110ºC until cream-coloured and crisp on top when tapped, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
• Remove from the oven. Cool on the trays. Store in an air-tight container.

PILLOWY MERINGUE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Put egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar into the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water.Whisk until mixture is warm and sugar has dissolved.
• Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
• Transfer half the meringue to another bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir orange zest into 1 bowl of meringue. Stir grapefruit zest and pink food coloring into remaining meringue.
• Place a 3 1/4-by-3 1/2-inch heart-shape cutter in one corner of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a small spatula, fill heart with meringue; swirl. Push down edges of meringue with the spatula, and lift up cutter. Repeat, spacing meringue hearts 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
• Bake until meringues are firm and can be removed easily from parchment paper, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Meringues can be stored between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

MERINGUE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Add vanilla, and slowly beat in sugar until very stiff and glossy. Spread mixture into a 9 inch pie plate to form a shell.
• Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 50 minutes. Turn oven off, and leave meringue in oven for 1 hour. Cool.

HEART-SHAPED MERINGUES FILLED WITH PASSION FRUIT CURD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trace 4 heart shapes onto the parchment paper using a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Turn parchment paper over on baking sheet; set aside.
• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the egg mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Attach bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
• Spoon meringue mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round 1/2-inch tip. Cover one of the hearts with an even layer of meringue. Continue piping meringue around the outer edge of the heart, making a 1-inch-high cup. Repeat piping over the remaining hearts.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 175 degrees, and bake until meringue is dry and crisp but still white., 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours more. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let meringues cool completely before carefully easing them off the parchment. Meringues can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
• When ready to serve, fill each meringue heart with passion fruit curd and garnish with berries. Dust meringues with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

LITHUANIAN SEMI-CRISP MERINGUE PASTRY

Steps:

• Mix together flour, butter, sugar, vanilla, egg yolk, sour cream and baking powder. Work until smooth. Place in fridge for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out dough and placed on a small, greased cookie sheet. Pierce with a fork in several places before putting it into the oven. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and cool slightly.
• Lower oven temp to 300 degrees.
• Spread the marmalade over the top of the pastry.
• Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread over the pastry. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until meringue develops a slight "blush".