Hazelnut Meringue Surprise Recipes

HAZELNUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a food processor, pulse hazelnuts until finely ground. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and pinch of salt. Set bowl over (not in) a pot with 2 inches simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and, using an electric mixer, beat mixture on high until thick and glossy, 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold in hazelnuts.
• Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cracked on top, about 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let meringues cool to room temperature.

HAZELNUT MERINGUE SURPRISE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter and line the bases and sides of 2 x 20cm springform tins with baking parchment. Grind the hazelnuts and icing sugar in a food processor until fine. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add half the caster sugar and whisk again until stiff, then repeat with the rest of the caster sugar. Fold in the vanilla, vinegar and ground nut mixture until well combined. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25-30 mins until the tops are firm to the touch. Remove and cool in the tins on a wire rack. The meringues are very fragile and may crack a little, but don't worry.
• While the meringues cool, make the chocolate cream. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool slightly, then stir in the cream and leave to set in a cool place.
• Carefully remove the cooled meringues from the tins and put one layer onto a serving plate. Lightly crush half of the berries with a fork. Using a palette knife, spread half the chocolate cream over the meringue and spoon over the berries. Top with the remaining layer, then ice with chocolate cream and decorate with remaining berries. Chill until serving.

HAZELNUT MERINGUE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes; let cool, then finely chop. Reduce the oven temperature to 225 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat in the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Add the chopped hazelnuts and sift in the confectioners' sugar.
• Fold together with a rubber spatula.
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 2-inch rounds about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans, keeping the pastry tip close to the pan.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are dry and release from
• the parchment, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn off the oven; leave the meringues inside for 30 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and salt in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium high and beat in the vanilla; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Dollop 1 teaspoon filling and 1/2 teaspoon jelly on the flat side of half the meringues. Top with the remaining meringues.

HAZELNUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Hazelnut powder:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly butter it, set aside.
• If hazelnuts are raw, toast them in the oven, and then rub the skins off in a clean, dry dishtowel. Blanch toasted hazelnuts in boiling water for 30 seconds and then immediately chill them in ice water. Squeeze the nuts through the skins.
• Grind the hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade with 5 ounces confectioners' sugar, until smooth and fine, approximately 10 to 15 seconds.
• Whisk together the hazelnut powder, 2 ounces confectioners' sugar, and flour lightly.
• In a standing mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed. When whites begin to foam, increase speed to high. When whites are at stiff peak, pour in the extra-fine sugar. Fold in dry ingredients in 3 additions.
• Pour meringue mixture into piping bag without a tip. Pipe teardrop shapes with 2-inch diameter bottoms onto prepared sheet pan.
• Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Meringues will puff and begin to burst when finished baking. Meringues will be crispy on the outside but soft in the middle.
• Serve immediately, or let cool and fill or top with ganache.
• In a small sauce pan heat the heavy cream, vanilla bean, and Frangelico to a simmer. Place chocolate into a metal bowl. Once the cream simmers, remove the vanilla bean and pour it over the chocolate, stir until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature. With a rubber spatula, scrape ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a medium size star tip, and pipe into Hazelnut Meringues.

TRAY-BAKED MERINGUE WITH PEARS, CREAM, TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a sheet of waxed paper.
• Put your egg whites into a squeaky clean bowl, making sure there are absolutely no little pieces of egg shell or egg yolk in them. Whisk on medium until the whites form firm peaks. With your mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and the pinch of salt. Turn the mixer up to the highest setting and whisk for about 7 or 8 minutes, until the meringue mixture is white and glossy. To test whether it's done you can pinch some between your fingers - if it feels completely smooth it's ready; if it's slightly granular it needs a little more whisking.
• Dot each corner of the waxed paper with a blob of meringue, then turn it over and stick it to the baking sheet. Spoon the meringue out onto the paper. Using the back of a spoon, shape and swirl it into a rectangle. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until crisp on the outside and a little soft and sticky inside. At the same time, bake the hazelnuts on a separate sheet in the oven for 1 hour or until golden brown.
• Drain the cans of pears, reserving the syrup from 1 can. Cut each pear half into 3 slices. Pour the pear syrup into a saucepan with the ginger, if using, and warm gently over a medium heat until it starts to simmer. Take off the heat and snap the chocolate into the saucepan, stirring with a spoon until it's all melted.
• Take the meringue and hazelnuts out of the oven and leave to cool. Place the meringue on a nice rustic board or platter. Whip the cream with the sifted icing sugar and the vanilla seeds until it forms smooth, soft peaks. Smash the toasted hazelnuts (in a kitchen towel) and sprinkle half of them over the top of the meringue. Spoon half the whipped cream over the top and drizzle with some of the chocolate sauce (if the sauce has firmed up, melt it slightly by holding the saucepan over a large pan of boiling water). Divide most of the pear pieces evenly over the top. Pile over the rest of the whipped cream and pears. Drizzle with some more chocolate sauce, then sprinkle over the remaining toasted hazelnuts with some grated orange zest. Serve straightaway. If you're making this in advance, get everything ready and assemble at the last minute.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 225°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
• In medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on low speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium; gradually add 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high; gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, the powdered sugar and cocoa, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating 2 to 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in hazelnuts.
• Spoon mixture into decorating bag fitted with large open star tip. Onto cookie sheets, pipe meringues about 1 inch apart.
• Bake 1 hour 35 minutes. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven with door closed 2 hours. Store tightly covered at room temperature up to 1 week.

SURPRISE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand for 30 minutes. Add the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 250° for 40-45 minutes or until firm to the touch. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for 1-1/2 hours. Remove to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

HAZELNUT MERINGUE DROPS

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven and preheat to 300°F. Spray 2 heavy large baking sheets with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Finely grind hazelnuts in processor. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff and glossy but not dry. Beat in vanilla extract. Sift cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar into small bowl. Sift half of cornstarch mixture over meringue mixture. Using rubber spatula, carefully fold into meringue. Sift remaining half of cornstarch mixture over and fold into meringue. Gently fold in nuts.
• Working in batches, spoon meringue into large pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe meringue onto prepared baking sheets, forming 1-inch rounds and spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake until meringues are light golden brown and set, about 35 minutes. Let meringues stand 5 minutes on baking sheets. Carefully transfer meringues to rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store in air-tight containers at room temperature.)

HAZELNUT MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F. and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip.
• In a bowl with am electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar and salt until they just hold soft peaks. Add sugar in a stream and beat in vanilla and espresso and cocoa powders, beating until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Working quickly, fold ground hazelnuts into meringue gently but thoroughly and fill pastry bag with meringue. Pipe 42 dots (each about 1/2 teaspoon) of meringue onto parchment 1/2 inch apart and top each dot with a whole hazelnut (meringue dots will anchor nuts). Pipe meringue over hazelnuts, encasing them, to form cookies about 1 inch wide and 1 3/4 inches high.
• Bake cookies in middle and lower third of oven, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through baking, 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until meringue os form on the outside and pale golden (cookies will fall during baking). Remove parchment with cookies from baking sheets and cool on racks (cookies will continue to crisp as they cool). Carefully peel cookies off parchment.
• In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, and remove from het. Dip top half of each cookie in melted chocolate, transferring cookies, chocolate sides up, to a wax-paper-lined tray. Chill cookies until chocolate is hardened, about 15 minutes. Cookies keep, arranged in layers between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container and chilled, 5 days.