Meringue Nests Recipes

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. , Drop meringue into 8 mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-in. cups with the back of a spoon. Or place meringue mixture in pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe meringue onto parchment to form eight 3-in. cups., Bake at 275° for 45-50 minutes or until set and dry. Turn off oven and do not open door; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Fill with fruit. If desired, top with whipped cream and mint.

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large clean dry 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 confectioners' sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe eight 3-inch disks on the baking sheets, then pipe around the edge of the disks to create 2-inch-high sides. Bake at 250 degrees F until dry and crisp, about 3 hours. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 1 week.
• For the filling, whisk the mascarpone with the confectioners' sugar, then whisk in the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Spoon into the meringue nests; top with sugar pearls.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, begin whipping the egg whites with the salt at medium speed until frothy.
• Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and whip until the egg whites thicken and begin to hold their shape. Continue whipping the whites while adding the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once the sugar's been added, add the vanilla and continue to whip for 2 minutes, until stiff and glossy.
• Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and sift the confectioners' sugar over the meringue while simultaneously folding it in.
• Divide the meringue into 8 portions, evenly spaced, on the baking sheet. (They'll all fit if you arrange 3 down each side lengthwise and 2 in the center.)
• Take a spoon, dip it in water, tap off the excess, and make a hollow in the center of each meringue, like mashed potatoes in preparation for gravy.
• Bake the meringues for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and continue to let the meringues dry out in the oven for 1 hour more.
• The meringues are done when they feel dry and lift easily off the parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Variations
• Meringue nests lend themselves to many variations. Here are some of my favorites. Simply fold the additional ingredients into the meringue after adding in the confectioners' sugar.
• Cinnamon: 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Coconut: 1/2 cup (40 g) dried shredded coconut, toasted
• Cocoa Nib: 6 tablespoons (60 g) cocoa nibs
• Coffee: 1 tablespoon best-quality instant coffee (crush the crystals into a fine powder with the back of a spoon first) or espresso powder
• Chocolate: 3 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Chocolate Chip: 1/2 cup (80 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (regular or mini)
• Chocolate-Chocolate Chip: 3 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and 1/3 cup (60 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (regular or mini)
• Green Tea and Black Sesame: 1 1/2 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder) and 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
• For Almond Meringue Nests: Replace the vanilla with 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and press 2 tablespoons sliced almonds into the top of each meringue before baking.
• Storage
• Once cool, store the meringues in an absolutely airtight container until ready to serve. They can be made 1 week in advance.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees with rack in lower third. Coat two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; line with parchment paper.
• With an electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Very gradually beat in sugar, adding 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until stiff and glossy.
• Drop 8 mounds of meringue onto prepared baking sheets; twirl a teaspoon in the center of each to spread to a diameter of 4 inches and create a nest. Bake until dry but still white, about 1 1/2 hours, rotating baking sheets halfway through; let cool on sheets.
• Use a small paring knife to hull and quarter strawberries. In a bowl, toss strawberries with sugar; let stand, at least 30 minutes. Spoon into nests.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼. Tip the egg whites and lemon juice into the clean bowl of a food mixer. Whisk until the whites double in volume and hold a peak when the whisk is drawn through them. Keep the whisk running and add the sugar a tbsp at a time, incorporating completely before adding the next. Whisk until all the sugar has been added and the whites are glossy.
• Place a square of baking parchment on a large baking sheet. Pencil nine circles, about 7cm each, onto the parchment. Spoon the meringue into a large piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe concentric rounds to fit each drawn circle, piping two or more rings around the edge to form a nest. Bake for 2 hrs until they are crisp and lift off the paper easily. Leave to cool completely.
• Whisk the crème fraîche until stiff, then fold in the yogurt. Set 2 strawberries and 9 raspberries aside and roughly chop the rest. Tip the chopped berries, mint and ginger into a bowl. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar and use a wooden spoon to mash to a rough purée. Gently fold the berries into the yogurt mix, adding icing sugar to taste.
• To assemble, cut the remaining strawberries into 9 slices and place a slice inside each meringue case. Generously share the rippled cream between the cases, then top with a raspberry and a mint sprig. Dust with a little icing sugar just before serving. ( Meringues keep in an airtight container for 2 days.)