Pistachio Meringues With Summer Berries Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the sugar so it's a perfectly even thickness on the paper right to the edge of the sugar, leaving a border on the paper so the sugar doesn't spill onto the pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges start to brown lightly. Watch carefully! Lower the oven to 250˚ F.
• Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Just before the sugar is ready, whisk the egg whites on high speed for 1 minute, until frothy. With the mixer on low, slowly add the hot sugar to the egg whites. (I use a large spoon at first, then pick up the paper and pour the sugar in slowly.) Add the vanilla and continue to whisk on high for 10 minutes, until the egg whites are room temperature. (The bowl may still be warm.) The meringue will be very thick and glossy.
• Using two large serving spoons, scoop 6 very large, messy oval dollops of meringue onto each of two sheet pans lined with parchment paper, spacing them out because they will expand while they bake. Sprinkle the pistachios on top and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (make sure your oven isn't above 250˚ F!), until the outsides of the meringues are crisp but not browned and the centers are still soft. Sprinkle with the fleur de sel and set aside to cool.

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350˚. Spread 3/4 cup pistachios on a baking sheet and bake on the lower oven rack until toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the granulated sugar on one of the prepared pans and bake on the lower oven rack until very hot but not melting, about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 225˚.
• Meanwhile, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. About 30 seconds before the sugar comes out of the oven, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the hot sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, using the parchment paper as a funnel. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the meringue is fluffy, about 30 seconds.
• Reline the baking sheet that you used for the sugar with parchment paper. Gently fold the chopped pistachios and chocolate into the meringue with a rubber spatula until just combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe the meringue into 1 3/4-inch-wide mounds (about 1 1/2 inches tall) about 1 inch apart onto the prepared pans. Very finely chop the remaining 2 tablespoons pistachios, then sprinkle on the meringues.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are firm to the touch and lift easily off the parchment, 40 to 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the meringues sit in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the meringues to racks to cool completely.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the pistachio nuts into a shallow roasting tin and toast in the oven for about 7-10 mins until golden. Place in a food processor and blitz until coarsely ground.
• Blend the cornflour and vinegar to a paste. In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gradually add the sugar a tbsp at a time until it forms a stiff glossy mixture.
• Fold most of the pistachios into the meringue, reserving about 2 tbsp. Finally stir through the cornflour mixture. Spoon the mixture onto the baking tray to make four large meringue nests, using the back of the spoon to hollow out the centres. Sprinkle with the reserved pistachios and bake for about 45 mins until firm and crisp on the outside. Turn off the oven, but leave the meringues in to dry out in the warmth until completely cold.
• To serve, place a meringue on each plate and spoon a little crème fraîche into the middle. Sprinkle over the seasonal berries and serve.

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla., Drop meringue into two mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-1/2-in. cups with the back of a spoon. , Bake at 225° until set and dry, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Remove to wire racks to cool. , In a small bowl, combine berries and, if desired, sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Combine sour cream and extract; spoon into meringue shells. Top with berries. ,

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil; butter and flour foil. Mix chopped pistachios and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Beat egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar, beating until whites are stiff but not dry. Fold nut mixture into egg whites. Drop meringue onto prepared sheets by rounded tablespoonfuls, spacing 1 inch apart and spreading to form 2 1/2-inch rounds.
• Bake meringues until dry and almost crisp but not yet colored, about 45 minutes. Cool meringues on baking sheets. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Wrap airtight in foil and freeze.)

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly brush a 9-inch springform pan with oil and line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Brush parchment with oil and set pan aside.
• In a food processor, pulse pistachios with 1/4 cup sugar until finely ground (avoid overgrinding); set aside.
• In two large bowls, separate the 6 eggs into yolks and whites, reserving the sixth egg white for another use. Add 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, salt, and cardamom to bowl with egg yolks and beat using an electric mixer until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Set egg yolk mixture aside and thoroughly clean and dry the beaters.
• Add a pinch of salt to the bowl with the egg whites and beat using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Add half of the whipped egg whites and all of the ground pistachios to the egg yolk mixture and fold until combined. Add the remaining egg whites and fold until batter is just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until beginning to brown and just barely set, 20-25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the meringue topping:
• In a food processor, process the strawberries into a fine powder. Set aside 1 Tbsp. of the powder for decorating the cake, and pour the remaining powder into a medium bowl. Whisk in the almond flour and the potato starch.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat 5 egg whites and vinegar until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in the sugar and continue to whip until meringue is stiff and glossy and all the sugar has dissolved, 7-8 minutes. Gently fold almond mixture into meringue until just combined.
• Remove cake from oven. Using an offset spatula or table knife, spread meringue mixture evenly over hot cake, starting from the outside and working your way into the center. Return cake to oven and bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp, 25-30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool, and immediately run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Release and remove the side of the springform pan. Let cake cool at least 30 minutes before decorating.
• Decorate the cake:
• Place the reserved strawberry powder in a fine-mesh sieve and dust over cake as desired.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made up to one day before serving: cool to room temperature, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature.

Steps:

• You can make the ice cream up to a month ahead. First, cut the skin from the mango with a sharp knife, cut the flesh from the stone and chop very finely. Whisk the cream, Cointreau, icing sugar, mandarin zest and juice together until it holds its shape. Fold in the mango. Tip the mixture into a rigid container and freeze for 3 hours until softly frozen, stirring once after 1½ hours.
• Meanwhile make the meringues. Preheat the oven to 120C/gas ½/fan 100C. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment and draw 16 x 6cm circles, spaced well apart, on the sheets. (Use a jar lid measuring 6 cm across as a template.)
• Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Add half the caster sugar and whisk until glossy. Add the remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time while whisking. Fold in the nuts with a large metal spoon.
• Spoon the meringue on to the paper circles and spread to make even rounds. Bake for 1 hour, switching the trays round after 30 minutes. The meringues are ready when firm and sound hollow if tapped. Cool on the trays then peel off the paper.
• When the meringues are cool and the ice cream is softly frozen, sandwich the meringues together in pairs using the ice cream. Put them into a container in a single layer and freeze, along with the leftover ice cream.
• To serve, remove from the freezer and scatter with the extra chopped nuts. Serve on plates and eat with forks.

Steps:

• Halve larger plums and stone them, and leave smaller ones whole. Put into a saucepan with 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp cornflour. On the heat, stir for 1-2 mins until the cornflour disappears into the plum juices, then stir in 100ml water and the jam or conserve. Cover and simmer for 10-20 mins until the plums are tender and the sauce syrupy - splash in some more water if it looks a little dry. Scrape the pan contents into a large, shallow baking dish.
• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Whisk the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl until stiff. Whisk in the 200g sugar in 3 batches, beating the whites back to stiff between each addition. Whisk in remaining cornflour and vanilla and keep going until you have a lovely shiny, stiff mixture.
• Scoop 6 large spoonfuls of the meringue on top of the plums, scatter with pistachios, then bake for 30-40 mins until the meringues are crisp on top but still pale, and soft underneath. Eat warm or at room temperature, with cold crème anglaise or cold custard for pouring over.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Using the 28cm cake board, or the base of a 28cm cake tin as a template, draw a circle on the baking parchment, then flip it over so that the pen or pencil doesn't come into contact with the meringue.
• Tip 5 of the egg whites into a large bowl, or the bowl of a tabletop mixer (make sure it's extremely clean - any traces of grease will prevent the egg whites from holding) and add a pinch of salt. Whisk the egg whites using an electric whisk, or in the mixer, until stiff peaks form. Add 275g of the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, while continuing to mix. Once incorporated, the mixture should be stiff and shiny, and should hold up in peaks on the end of the beaters. Add 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp vinegar and mix again until combined.
• Use some meringue to stick the parchment to the baking sheet. Pile the meringue onto the parchment and spread it out with a spatula or palette knife to fill the circle. Bake on the middle shelf for 1 hr 20 mins, then turn off the oven without opening the door, and leave the meringue inside to cool for at least 4 hrs to prevent it from cracking. Once cool, loosely cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave in a cool and dry place for up to 2 days.
• Follow steps 1-3 for the next two layers, but this time line two baking sheets with parchment. Draw a 20cm circle on one and a 14cm circle on the other. Once you've made the meringue mixture, divide it between the baking sheets and spread out to fill the circles. Bake for 1 hr 20 mins and cool as before.
• To make the compote, put the apricots in a saucepan with the caster sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 5-8 mins until the fruit is soft and pulpy. Remove from the heat and use a stick blender to purée the fruit, adding a splash of water if needed. Cool until you're ready to assemble. Can be made up to 2 days before, or frozen for up to 2 months.
• On the day you want to assemble and serve the meringue, halve or quarter five apricots, and stone half the cherries. Toss the peach slices, apricots and stoned cherries with 2 tbsp icing sugar and set aside to macerate for 30 mins.
• Remove the cardamom seeds from the pods and grind to a powder using a pestle and mortar. Pour 1 litre of the cream into a large bowl or freestanding mixer. Add 25g icing sugar and half the cardamom. Whisk until the cream is just holding its shape - don't overwhip. Use a little of the cream to stick the largest meringue to a cake board or stand, then pile the rest on top. Drizzle over some compote and scatter with the macerated fruit and some pistachios. Insert four dowling rods, pushing them into the centre of the meringue until they hit the base, then snip the tops so they sit flush with the cream and fruit
• Whip the remaining cream, sugar and cardamom, and use a little to stick the 20cm meringue to the cake board. Carefully put this on top, then pile on just over half the cream. Top with compote, fruit and pistachios as before. then insert four more dowling rods and cut them to the correct height.
• Use some of the remaining cream to stick the final layer to its cake board and position on top carefully. Top with more cream, compote, nuts and fruit, and finish with the remaining unstoned cherries. Serve as soon as possible - the meringue will only hold for 1-2hrs.

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.)