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Meringue variations
Special equipment
piping bag with star nozzleIngredients
3 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
about^3 ⁄^4 cup sugar, see page 134, step 3,
plus an extra^1 ⁄^4 cup
vegetable oil, for greasing
2oz (60g) whole blanched almonds
pinch of cream of tartar
3oz (85g) dark chocolate, chopped(^2) ⁄ 3 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp lemon curd
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C) and line
a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk
the egg whites with the salt until stiff. Add
2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until smooth
and shiny. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a
time, whisking well after each addition.
Spoon into the piping bag, and pipe 6 x 4in
(10cm) circles onto the baking sheet. Bake
for 1^1 ⁄ 2 hours, or until crisp.
2 Meanwhile, make the praline. Grease
a baking sheet and put the^1 ⁄ 4 cup sugar,
almonds, and cream of tartar into a small,
heavy saucepan. Set the pan over low heat
and stir until the sugar dissolves. Boil until
the syrup turns golden, then pour out onto
the greased baking sheet. Leave until
completely cold, then coarsely chop.
3 Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over
simmering water. Whip the cream until just
holding a trail, and fold in the lemon curd.
Spread each meringue with chocolate.
Allow to set, then pile the lemon curd cream
on top, sprinkle with praline, and serve.
PREPARE AHEAD The meringue bases will
keep in an airtight container for 5 days.
Special equipment
food processor with blade attachment
large metal mixing bowl
Ingredients
4 egg whites, at room temperature
about 1 cup sugar, see page 134, step 3
4oz (100g) unsalted, shelled pistachios
Method
1 Preheat the oven to the lowest setting,
around 250°F (120°C). Spread the pistachios
on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes
then transfer them to a kitchen towel and
rub to remove excess skin. Cool. Finely grind
just less than half the nuts in a food
processor, and coarsely chop the rest.
2 Put the egg whites into the metal bowl
and whisk with an electric hand mixer
until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar
Giant Pistachio Meringues
Too large to sandwich with cream, these beautiful creations are
eaten like oversized cookies.
MAKES
8
15
MINS
11 ⁄ 2
HOURS
Lemon and Praline
Meringues
Similar to Monts Blancs (see right),
these have added crunch.
SERVES
6
35
MINS
11 ⁄ 2
HOURS
2 tablespoons at a time, whisking between
additions, until you have added at least half.
Fold in the remaining sugar and the ground
pistachios. Try to lose as little air as possible.
3 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put large heaping tablespoons of the
meringue mixture on to the sheet, leaving
at least 2in (5cm) gaps between them.
Scatter the tops with the chopped pistachios.
4 Bake in the center of the oven for 1^1 ⁄ 2 hours.
Turn off the oven and leave the meringues
to cool inside, to prevent them from cracking.
Transfer the meringues from the oven to
a wire rack to cool completely.
5 Serve the meringues piled on top of each
other, for maximum impact.
STORE These will keep in an airtight
container for 3 days.