Let’s just say that my first attempt at meringues was less-than-perfect (blaming it on Camille’s malfunctioning oven.) The bright side? Apart from making s’mores by sandwiching our burnt meringues between graham crackers, it also allowed me more opportunity to practice getting these just perfect. Turns out, consistency and oven temperature are key ingredients for these to look as good as they taste. Scroll down to find out how to make these marbled cookies that are sure to wow your Valentine!
photos by: molly winters photography
We opted for a more natural look and used a spoon to dollop the meringue directly onto the parchment lined pan. However, for a more decorative meringue, you can also use a piping bag and your choice of tip. At this step, don’t worry very much about spreading the meringue into a flattened cookie shape — just dollop.
Next comes the swirling! Using a toothpick to get the detail just right really gave the meringues that wow factor. For this step, I simply made pea-sized dollops with the prepared sauce in 2-3 spots around the meringue dollop and then began to swirl with a toothpick. I was not too methodical with this, as again, we weren’t going for a very uniform look. You’ll notice this is when the dollops flatten out a bit.
Fresh out of the oven! We made two kinds: Chocolate Espresso with Sea Salt and Raspberry Jam Swirl.
Since I’m a sucker for all things coffee and chocolate, these won my vote for most delicious.
The raspberry swirl ended up surprisingly simple and fun to make, so I hope you give them a chance as they’re every bit delicious as they are pretty! Enjoy!
Chocolate Espresso and Raspberry Swirl Meringues
Serves 20 meringues
Chocolate Espresso and Raspberry Swirl Meringues To Wow Your Valentine
Categories
Chocolate Espresso & Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
For the chocolate espresso sauce:
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/3 cup espresso
- 2 tsp ground espresso beans
- 1 cup 100% cacao bar, finely chopped
For the raspberry sauce:
- 10 oz fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
For the chocolate espresso sauce:
- Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan and heat over low heat until the chocolate melts. Stir to blend.
For the raspberry sauce:
- Bring raspberries and honey to a boil on high heat, mashing the berries as they soften. Once fully mashed, lower the heat and let simmer for 2 minutes. Stir well.
Meringues
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy on medium speed. Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Add in sugar gradually, while continuing to whip at medium speed. Once all sugar is added, turn up the speed to high and continue to whip for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is shiny and holds stiff peaks. (You should be able to turn the bowl upside down with nothing dripping down.)
- Spoon dollops of meringue about 2 inches apart onto the parchment lined baking sheet, not worrying about making them exactly the same size or shape. Drop pea sized amounts of sauce in 2-3 spots around the meringues and swirl with a toothpick. Sprinkle chocolate meringues with sea salt.
- Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the meringues are dry enough that they slide easily off of the parchment paper.
- Turn off the oven to let cool completely, and enjoy! Store loosely covered in cool dry place.
Using a toothpick to get the detail just right really gave the meringues that wow factor.
These would look so beautiful at a baby or bridal shower sweet table!
Blush & Pearls by Angela
These look amazing. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
http://www.livinginsteil.com
Fantastic, I am making them right now and enjoying every second. For the mixture, definitely use an electronic one, hand mixing won’t work. Also, don’t be afraid to add a bit more sugar! Perfect!
actually don’t work. They come out sticky and toffee-like. would definitely take more than one time to get them perfect