Cherry Almond Meringues Food

CHERRY ALMOND CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and the cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Melt half the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Make sure the water is not touching the top pan. Remove the double boiler from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Remove the top pan with the chocolate in it, gently wipe the bottom of it and set it aside for a moment. Replace the simmering water in the bottom pan with warm tap water. Put the pan of melted chocolate on top of the warm water. This will keep the chocolate at the right temperature while you make the clusters.
• Stir the fruit-nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer and beat until foamy. Add sugar and almond extract beat until meringues hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate gently until just incorporated. Using a pastry bag or a sealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off, pipe meringue by the tablespoon onto cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from parchment paper. Transfer to an airtight container.

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, gradually add the sugar and then continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the almond extract.
• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a star pastry tip and pipe 1-inch meringues onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven but leave the meringues inside with the door cracked open until the meringues are completely cooled and dry, about 2 hours more. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

CHERRY ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Chop the dried cherries and almonds into small bits.
• Using an electric mixer beat egg whites, cream of tartar, almond extract and salt until the eggs form soft peaks. While continuing to beat, add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat for an additional two or three minutes until sugar granules have dissolved and the eggs form stiff peaks. I found the batter to be quite sticky at this point.
• Gently fold in the cherries and almonds into the egg mixture. Make sure you have a nice even distribution.
• To make the meringues, you can drop the batter in rounded tablespoons onto the parchment about one inch apart. Alternately, place the batter into a large resealable bag and snip off about 3/8 inch of one tip. Pipe small mounds about the size of a medium walnut.
• Place baking sheets into the oven and bake one hour. Rotate the cookie sheets turning front to back. If one sheet is above the other in your oven (not side-to-side) then flip the sheets as well. Continue baking until the meringues are dry, about an additional hour.
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the meringues to completely cool before removing them from the parchment.
• Store in an air tight container for up to one week.

MONSTER MERINGUES

Steps:

• Heat your oven to 400degreesF Line 2 flat baking sheets and a deep baking tray with baking parchment.
• Place the caster sugar in the deep baking tray in the oven for 7 minutes.
• Place the egg whites in a stand mixer on the slowest speed and start whisking. Gradually increase the speed until soft peaks form and the sugar is ready. Take the sugar out of the oven-it should be hot but not caramelized. Turn the temperature down to 200°F.
• Slowly add the sugar to your eggs with the mixer on full speed, one spoon at a time. Be careful not to add the sugar too quickly or your eggs will deflate.
• Once all the sugar has been added, keep the mixer going for a minute longer until the mixture looks thick and glossy. A good way to check if it is done is to dip the whisk into the mix to see if it creates a peak once pulled out.
• Divide the mixture between 4 bowls and carefully fold in the powdered food color.
• Scoop the mixture into 4 piping bags fitted with round and star nozzles. Pipe your monsters onto the baking sheets and add sprinkles.
• Bake for 1 hour until the meringue comes away from the baking parchment clean and the base is firm.
• Leave to cool.
• Stick on the eyes with a dot of icing.

CHERRY-CHOCOLATE COCONUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes., Add extract and salt; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa; beat into egg white mixture. Fold in coconut and cherries., Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 25-28 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool completely on pans on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

SUGAR FREE ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Chop almonds into small bits.
• Using an electric mixer beat egg whites, cream of tartar, almond extract and salt until the eggs form soft peaks. While continuing to beat, add Splenda one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat for until eggs form stiff peaks.
• Sift cornstarch over and gently fold in the almonds into the egg mixture. Make sure you have a nice even distribution.
• To make the meringues, you can drop the batter in rounded tablespoons onto the parchment about one inch apart.
• Place baking sheets into the oven and bake one hour. Rotating cookie sheets front to back and . If one sheet is above the other in your oven (not side-to-side) then flip the sheets as well. Continue baking until the meringues are dry, about an additional hour.
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the meringues to completely cool before removing them from the parchment.
• Store in an air tight container for up to one week.

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F.
• Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they hold soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup superfine sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat at high speed until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, 1 to 3 minutes. Fold in remaining 1/4 cup sugar gently but thoroughly.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Put a small dab of meringue on all 4 corners of each sheet, then turn paper over, pressing on corners to adhere parchment to baking sheets.
• Spoon meringue into pastry bag. You will be making 4 lattice cookies on each sheet, so work in 1 quadrant for each: Pipe 4 (4-inch-long) diagonal lines, about 5/8 inch apart, then pipe 4 (4-inch-long) parallel lines diagonally across original 4 lines, 5/8 inch apart, to form a lattice. Make 3 more lattice meringues on same baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle half of almonds over meringues. Pipe 4 more lattice meringues on second baking sheet in same manner, then sprinkle with remaining almonds.
• Bake meringues in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and pale golden, about 1 hour total.
• Cool meringues completely on sheets on racks, about 1 hour, then carefully peel from parchment.

ALMOND MERINGUE WITH SUMMER BERRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Scatter the almonds on a baking sheet and roast for 6-8 mins until golden. Very coarsely grind them in a small food processor, then set aside. Lower oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.
• Beat the egg whites in a scrupulously clean mixing bowl until stiff peaks have formed. Tip in half the sugar and beat again until stiff peaks are formed once more. Using a metal spoon, deftly fold in the remaining sugar a spoonful at a time, followed by most of the almonds (keep a small handful back). Tip the meringue onto the lined sheet and spread it out quite roughly to a 20cm circle. Scatter over the reserved almonds. Bake for 20 mins, reduce the temperature to 140C/120C fan/gas 1, then bake for a further 40 mins. Let meringue cool in the oven with the door ajar or on the side as you wish.
• While the meringue is baking, and if you wish to add the glamour of a raspberry ripple to the cream, make a few spoonfuls of purée by pressing 125g of the raspberries through a sieve.
• When nearing the moment for assembly, whip the cream until soft and cloudy. Lightly ripple through about half, or more, of the raspberry purée through the cream. You can serve the rest separately on the side. Place the meringue upon a handsome dish. Spoon the whipped cream liberally over the meringue. Slice the strawberries in a random manner. Heap the berries atop the cream, and offer any remaining fruit separately. Sift over the icing sugar. Take to the table and take a bow.

COFFEE ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250ºF.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the coffee granules and egg whites and beat until frothy.
• Add the salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon.
• Beat with mixer until soft peaks slowly form.
• Gently add both sugars and almond extract.
• Beat until stiff peaks form.
• With a rubber spatula, fold in the toasted slivered almonds.
• Drop by heaping teaspoons 1 1/2" apart on to the parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 30-35 minute.
• Turn off the heat, but leave the meringues in the oven for an additional 30 minute.
• Remove the parchment (with the meringues on it) from the baking sheet and let cool completely on the counter.
• Peel the cookies from the parchment and store in an air tight container.