Pecan Toffee Meringue With Mulled Pears Recipes

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.

TOFFEE MERINGUE DROPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar 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 toffee bits and pecans. , Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 25-30 minutes or until set and dry. Turn oven off; leave cookies in oven 1 hour. , Cool completely on pans on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

GRANDMA'S PECAN TASSIES

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup butter and cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add flour gradually, beating at low speed. Shape mixture into 48 balls and place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease the cups of a mini-muffin pan. Press 1 chilled dough ball into each cup and shape into a tart shell.
• Whisk brown sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in 1 1/4 cups pecans. Spoon mixture into tart shells. Top with the remaining pecans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookie shell are delicately brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Gently remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.

PECAN TOFFEE MERINGUE WITH MULLED PEARS

Steps:

• Put the wine, pears and sugar in a pan and simmer for 10 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C/gas 3. Draw a 25cm circle on a sheet of baking parchment, then put on a baking sheet. Stir 225g sugar and cornflour together in a jug. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar mixture, a tbsp at a time, until thick and glossy.
• Fold in vinegar and half the nuts, then pile mixture onto the circle, building up the edges to make a 'nest'. Scatter with rest of pecans then put in oven, turning the temperature down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Bake for 1 hr, then turn oven off and cool inside for 1 hr.

PEARS IN MERINGUE WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak almonds, glace fruit, and 1/4 cup rum together overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine water, cinnamon, and jam in a large saucepan. Boil until well incorporated and syrupy. Reduce heat. Add pears and cook gently for 5 minutes. Remove to an ovenproof dish. Fill cavities with crystallized fruit. Reserve pan syrup, discarding cinnamon bark.
• Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold in confectioners' sugar. Pipe this meringue over pears. Dust with confectioners' sugar and bake for 5 minutes.
• Stir chocolate pieces into warm syrup and add rum.
• Serve pears on a heated platter, surrounded with warm chocolate sauce.

TRAY BAKED MERINGUE W PEARS, CREAM, TOASTED HAZELNUTS, CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 and line 40 x 25cm baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof 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 7-8 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 greaseproof paper with a blob of meringue, then turn it over and stick it to the baking tray, spoon the meringue out onto the paper, using the back of a spoon, shape and swirl it into a A4 size rectangle.
• Place in the preheated oven and bake for a hour or until crisp on the outside and a little soft and sticky on the inside, at the same time bake the hazelnuts on a separate tray in the oven for a hour or until golden brown.
• Drain the tin of pears, reserving the syrup from the tin, cut each pear into 6 slices.
• Pour the pear syrup into a saucepan (with the ginger) and warm gently over a medium heat until it starts to simmer.
• Take off the heat and snap the chocolate into saucepan with the syrup, stirring with a spoon until its 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 icing sugar and vanilla seeds until it forms smooth soft peaks.
• Smash the toasted hazelnuts (in a tea towel) and sprinkle half of them over the meringue.
• Spoon half the whipped cream over the top of the meringue and drizzle with some of the chocolate syrup sauce.
• Divide most of the pear pieces evenly over the top, pile on the rest of the whipped cream, drizzle with the chocolate syrup sauce and the rest of the hazelnuts.
• Serve straight away.

MERINGUE-TOPPED PECAN CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425° ., Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edges are light golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 350°., In a large heavy saucepan, mix sugar and flour. Whisk in milk and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat., In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans and vanilla., For meringue, in a large bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form. , Transfer hot filling to crust. Spread meringue evenly over filling, sealing to edge of crust. Bake until meringue is golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.

PECAN MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
• Beat egg white until stiff. Add brown sugar to egg white and beat until smooth. Fold pecans into mixture, using a large wooden spoon and stir until nuts are well coated. Drop by spoon onto un-greased cookie sheets. (About 2 pecan halves per spoonful).
• Bake until golden brown and meringue is completely dry - about 1 hour.