Valentine Meringues Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Beat egg whites gradually adding Jell-o and sugar until they are stiff and glossy.
• 2. Fold in vinegar and salt; beat well.
• 3. Add chips.
• 4. Drop by teaspoons on a baking sheet (ungreased).
• 5. Bake in a low oven (250 degrees) for 40-50 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. On high speed, beat in 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar at a time until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is almost dissolved, about 6 minutes. Spread meringue to form 10x10-inch heart shape on cookie sheet, building up edges with back of spoon.
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until firm and dry to the touch. Turn oven off; let meringue shell stand in closed oven 1 hour. Slide meringue shell and parchment paper from cookie sheet onto wire rack. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in melted baking bar until smooth and creamy. Gently fold in whipped cream.
• Carefully remove meringue shell from parchment paper; place shell on serving plate. Spread cream mixture evenly in shell. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• In medium bowl, gently mix pie filling and strawberries. Spoon 1 1/2 cups fruit mixture over top of dessert. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serve remaining fruit mixture to be spooned over individual servings.

Steps:

• Trace six 3-inch heart shapes in two rows on a 12-by-18-inch sheet of parchment. Repeat with a second sheet of parchment. Line 2 baking sheets with the parchment, pencil-side down, and set aside.
• Combine the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (make sure the bowl is very clean). Place an inch or two of water in the bottom of a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place the bottom of the bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the mixture becomes whiter, the sugar has dissolved and the mixture registers about 140 degrees F. This will take 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place the bowl in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vinegar and
• salt. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks with tips that stand straight up. The meringue will gather in a mass around the whisk attachment when it is ready.
• Transfer a third of the meringue to a small bowl to tint pink and a third to a separate small bowl to tint red. (Keep the remaining third white.) Add a small amount of gel food color to each bowl and whisk to incorporate. Transfer the meringue to piping bags with large tips; star tips and round tips work well.
• Place 2 racks towards the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of meringue into the center of each heart and spread a bit with a small spoon. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the meringue if using. Place a paper straw or lollipop stick into the center of each meringue. Use the meringue in the pastry bags to pipe stars, swirls and rosettes to fill in the heart shapes. Aim to make the meringue hearts about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Top with sprinkles, sugar pearls or more chocolate chips if desired.
• Once piped, tap each baking sheet on the counter a couple of times. Place the pans on racks in the center of the oven and bake until the meringue is dried, about 2 hours (2 1/2 hours for thicker meringue); the appearance of the hearts won't change much as they bake. After 2 hours, turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool inside the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Once the pans are cool to the touch, carefully lift the meringue pops off the pan by lifting the meringue gently (don't lift by the stick). Serve immediately or store up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Cut a heart pattern from a 4-1/2 inch square of paper. Cover baking sheet with brown paper. (You can bake on the brown paper so make sure it is clean.) Grocery store bags without writing on them are okay. Draw 6 hearts on the brown paper using your pattern as a guide.
• Beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Rub a bit between your figures to feel that no sugar remains undissolved. Add food coloring, a few drops to make a delicate pink color.
• Spread meringue over the heart shapes, 1/4 inch thick. Make into the heart shape using a spoon to push and form into correct shape. Pipe rim 3/4 inch high with pastry tube.
• Bake in preheated 275-degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringues dry in oven for 1 more hour. DO NOT open oven door during this time.
• Fill the cooled meringues with scoops of ice cream and top with strawberries. Decorate with mint leaves if desired.