Decorative Centerpieces Port Wine Meringues With Swirls Bouquet Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray both large and small cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, coat with flour, and knock out the excess.
• For the cake: Combine the cake mix with the pumpkin puree, oil and eggs. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium until well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Using an ice cream scoop, fill 6 of the the mini pumpkin pans 2/3 of the way to the top. Fill the unused cups with water so the pan doesn't burn. Pour the remaining batter into the large pan, 2/3 of the way up the sides. Bake the small pans until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Continue to bake the large cake until browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean as well, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and, once cool enough to handle, invert onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• Slice the tops off of each cake so that it is flat. Spread about 1/4 cup of the frosting on the cut side of the large cake. Place the other cake half on top of the icing to form a large pumpkin. The icing will act as glue and hold the 2 halves together. Repeat the process with the smaller cakes using 1 tablespoon of frosting per cake set.
• For the fondant: In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the confectioners' sugar and pumpkin puree. Slowly add water by the tablespoonful until a very thick but pourable consistency is reached. Color the fondant orange with a few drops each of red and yellow food coloring. Put the icing in a resealable zip top bag. Place the cakes on a wire cooling rack fitted in a sheet pan. Snip the corner the zip top bag and start to squeeze fondant over top of cakes, allowing to drip down the sides. Let the fondant dry before inserting the stems.
• For the stems: Wrap the cork with the green raffia. Insert a toothpick half way into the cork. Insert into the top of the large pumpkin. Cut the soldering wire into 6 (6-inch) pieces and fold each piece into thirds to form one thick piece about 2 inches long. Wrap with raffia and insert into the top of each small pumpkin cake.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until frothy (use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer). Add the cream of tartar; increase the speed to medium high and add the superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the meringue (or add the extract) and continue beating until the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is thick, glossy and forms stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
• Fit a piping bag with a large star tip. Fill the bag with the meringue and pipe spirals on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
• Bake 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the meringues stand in the oven until dry, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven; preheat to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the pomegranate molasses and food coloring in a small bowl.
• Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 more minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 3 more minutes.
• Drizzle or brush the pomegranate mixture in a thick line along the inside of a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Carefully fill the bag with the meringue. Pipe about 12 swirls of meringue on each baking sheet. (The meringue may be slightly pink at the end of the bag.) Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are crisp and dry, about 3 hours. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag with a star tip.
• Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 more minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff shiny peaks form. Beat in 3/4 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer half of the meringue to a separate bowl; beat the espresso powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla into the remaining meringue.
• Holding the pastry bag in your hand, use a rubber spatula to spread the plain meringue on one side of the bag, filling the bag only half full. Turn the bag around and spread the coffee meringue on the other half of the bag. Twist the end of the bag so the 2 colors squish together. Pipe 1 1/2-inch meringues on the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Decorate with sprinkles.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are firm, about 2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside until dry and crisp, about 1 more hour.