Baked Meringue With Citrus Gin And Pomegranate Food

POMEGRANATE MERINGUE SWIRLS

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.

CITRUS POMEGRANATE JUNGLE JUICE

Steps:

• Add the pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice, vodka, blackberries, orange slices and lemon rounds to a large pitcher. Top with the soda water before serving.

UNBAKED MERINGUE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, cream of tartar, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
• In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. With mixer on medium speed, slowly pour the hot syrup mixture over the egg whites. Turn mixer to high speed and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over top of pie, covering filling completely. May brown meringue in oven if you desire.

MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer); beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium high; beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, then add the extract or zest. Continue beating until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
• For colored cookies, swirl a few drops of food coloring into the meringue or use a small paintbrush to paint 3 long stripes of food coloring up the inside of a pastry bag. For chocolate chip versions, gently fold the mini chocolate chips into the mixture.
• Drop or pipe the meringue as desired, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the meringues stand in the oven until dry, about 2 hours. Top with or dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with nonpareils.

LIGHTEST EVER MERINGUES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment and set up a piping bag with a medium-size star nozzle.
• In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until very stiff - the whites should stand in stiff, not floppy, peaks when the beaters are lifted out. Once you have reached this point, pour in roughly half the sugar and the vanilla extract and whisk again until the mixture becomes very thick, firm and shiny. Add the remaining sugar and whisk again until thick, firm and shiny. If you like meringues with soft, mallowy centres, just add 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp white wine vinegar to the mix along with the sugar.
• Carefully spoon the meringue into the piping bag. Push any air out of the top and tightly twist the end of the piping bag to seal. Gently squeeze until meringue is visible at the end of the nozzle, then begin piping onto your lined baking sheets. Pipe spiralling circles, about 6cm wide and 3 layers high - like you would ice a cupcake to make roughly 18. The meringues will spread slightly as they cook, so leave enough space between each one. Bake in the oven for 1 hr, turning the heat down to 120C/100C fan/gas ½ after 30 mins.
• Remove from the oven - they should peel easily away from the parchment - and cool on a wire rack. Can be made up to a week ahead and kept in an airtight container, or frozen for up to 3 months, between layers of parchment, in an airtight container.
• To make Cream & chocolate meringues for dessert, put 100g dark chocolate in a glass bowl and melt over a pan of gently simmering water. Carefully dip the base of each meringue in to coat, then place on their sides on a plate or tray to set. While the chocolate sets, whip 300ml double cream. Assemble the meringues in pairs and sandwich their chocolate bases together with a good spoonful of cream. Delicious served with ice cream, raspberry coulis or fresh berries.

CRISPY BAKED MERINGUES

Steps:

• Whip the egg whites and salt into peaks.
• Add the vanilla, and continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
• In a separate bowl, stir the cream of tartar into the regular sugar and whisk into the whites very gradually, a spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and the sugar has dissolved.
• Sift together the icing sugar and cornstarch. Sift over the meringue and gently fold until fully incorporated.
• Pipe or spoon the meringues onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Each meringue should be about the size of a bar of soap.
• Bake at 225ºF/110ºC until cream-coloured and crisp on top when tapped, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
• Remove from the oven. Cool on the trays. Store in an air-tight container.

G&T MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a bowl with the icing sugar and a good pinch of salt. Add the butter and rub in using your fingers until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Mix the egg yolk with 1 tbsp cold water, drizzle over the flour and butter, then mix and knead briefly. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• On a floured surface, roll out the pastry until big enough to line a deep 20cm cake or tart tin, preferably one with a removable base. Drape the pastry over the tin and press it into the corners, trim the excess with some scissors but leave a 1cm overhang as the pastry will shrink while cooking. Line with a piece of scrunched-up baking parchment (to make it more pliable) and fill with baking beans or rice. Chill the tart case for 10 mins while you heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Bake the pastry case for 20 mins. Remove the parchment and beans and return to the oven for another 5 mins, or until biscuit brown. Leave to cool. Now make the filling. Put the grapefruit, lemon zest and juice and the juniper berries in a pan and warm through for a few mins to help infuse the juniper flavour. In a bowl, whisk the egg, sugar and cornflour until creamy. Add the gin and mix again.
• Strain the warm juice over the egg mixture, mix, then strain back into the saucepan. Set over a low heat, stirring continuously with a spatula until the mixture thickens enough to part for a second or two when stirred. Make sure you get into the corners of the pan so none of the mixture overheats and splits. Remove from the heat and mix in the butter until it has melted and the curd is smooth. Pour into the tart case, then chill for at least 3 hrs.
• To make the meringue, put the egg whites, sugar, 1 tbsp water and a good pinch of salt in a large heatproof bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the hot water and whisk until thick - this should take about 5 mins. Remove from the heat and continue whisking for 3 mins until cooled slightly and really stiff.
• Remove the tart from the tin. Pile the meringue on top, swirling it to create peaks and troughs. Serve as it is or use a blowtorch or grill to scorch the tips of the meringue, if you like. Leftovers will keep for up to three days.