Peach Fondue With Meringue Cookies Recipes

PEACH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the pastry cream: Whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved.
• Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the bowl while whisking, then add all of the mixture back to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly; let boil until thickened, about 2 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then stir in the preserves, schnapps and almond extract. Cool the pastry cream slightly, then cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.
• For the cookies: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the sugar, milk, butter, nectar, schnapps and eggs in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth to make a thick, sticky dough.
• Lightly grease your hands with the oil and roll tablespoons of the dough into balls, arranging them about 1 1/2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time, until the undersides of the cookies are golden and the tops are just set, about 15 minutes. Cool just a few minutes. While the cookies are still warm, use a sharp paring knife to cut an approximately 1-inch-wide teaspoon-sized divot into the flat side of each cookie (be careful not to pierce the tops or sides of the cookies). Bake the other sheet of cookies and cut out the divots. Cool the cookies completely.
• Spoon a heaping teaspoon of pastry cream into each cookie, then sandwich 2 similar-looking ones together to make a peach shape, cleaning off any pastry cream that squeezes out of the seams. At this point, the cookies may not stick together very well; prop them up next to each other to keep their shape.
• For decorating: Combine the nectar and almond extract in a small bowl and add enough food coloring to make it bright red, about 8 drops. Put the sugar in another bowl.
• Working one at a time, paint each peach cookie all over with the red nectar mixture using a medium paintbrush, then roll in the sugar to coat thoroughly. Make sure the cookies are still nicely sandwiched and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (the cookies should fit snugly in the baking pan so that they keep their shape). Cover the dish with plastic and refrigerate 8 hours and up to overnight (this will blend the flavors and also set the pastry cream to keep the cookies together).
• Just before serving, garnish each cookie with a clove and mint sprig to look like little stems.

VANILLA CHAI MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with foil or parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites with a mixer until foamy and soft peaks form. Add sugar slowly while you continue to mix. Add vanilla extract and beat until glossy, stiff peaks form. Gently fold in ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
• Pipe or spoon the meringue onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cookies inside until the oven cools, or overnight.

TOBLERONE MOUSSE FONDUES WITH MERINGUES AND FRUIT

Steps:

• In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt the chocolate with the cream, stirring, remove the bowl from the pan, and let the mixture cool while making the meringue.
• In another metal bowl combine the whites and the sugar, set the bowl over a saucepan of hot but not simmering water, and stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved.
• With a hand-held electric mixer beat the meringue for 5 minutes, or until it holds glossy stiff peaks and is warm to the touch.
• Remove the bowl from the pan and continue beating the meringue until it is cool.
• Transfer 1 cup of the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a small decorative tip, fold the remaining meringue into the chocolate mixture gently but thoroughly, and divide the mousse among 6 small dishes.
• The mousse may be made 4 hours in advance and kept covered at room temperature or it may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and allowed to come to room temperature.
• On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil pipe the remaining meringue into 2-inch strips and bake the strips in the middle of a preheated 300°F.
• oven for 15 minutes, or until they are lightly golden.
• Let the meringues cool on the baking sheet and peel them from the paper.
• The meringues may be made 2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container.
• Serve the meringues and fruit for dipping into the mousse fondues.

PEACHES UNDER MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Put peaches, cut side up, on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar (total). Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until tops begin to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Beat egg white with a pinch of salt in a deep bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoon sugar, beating until white holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in sesame candy.
• Place a dollop of meringue on each peach half and broil 30 seconds. Turn off broiler and leave peaches in oven just until tips of meringue are browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute (watch carefully).