Cocoa Meringue Baskets With Nectarines Berries And Cream Food

COCOA MERINGUES WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• Place egg white in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 275°. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons sugar. , Combine cocoa and remaining sugar; add to meringue with vanilla. Beat on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in chopped chocolate., Drop 2 mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-in. cups with the back of a spoon. Bake until set and dry, 50-60 minutes. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour., In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, orange juice and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in berries. Cool to room temperature. Spoon into meringues. If desired, top with grated orange zest.

COCOA MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with foil or parchment paper. Sift 1/4 cup sugar, cocoa and salt into small bowl. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks begin to form. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tablespoon at a time and beat until medium-firm peaks form. Add cocoa mixture 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until meringue is stiff and glossy.
• Drop meringue onto prepared baking sheets by rounded teaspoonfuls, spacing 1 inch apart. For chewy soft cookies, bake meringues 25 minutes. For drier, crisper cookies, bake meringues 40 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets. Sift powdered sugar over cookies.

MERINGUES WITH FRESH BERRIES

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. ,

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE: COCOA MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
• Using a 9-inch cake circle as a guide, with a pencil trace a circle on a sheet parchment paper cut to fit a baking sheet. Turn the paper over and with trace mark down, place on a baking sheet.
• Place 4 egg whites, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip. Whisk on high speed until soft peeks form, about 45 to 50 seconds. Gradually add 1 cup sugar while continuing to whisk on high speed. Whisk until stiff about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in and thoroughly combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Fill a pastry bag (with no tip) with cocoa meringue. Fill the traced circle with meringue: start in the center and pipe a 3/4-inch wide spiral towards the outside of the circle. Place the meringue in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees F. and bake for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cocoa meringue to cool on baking sheet for 45 minutes before handling. Adjust the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

BERRIES & CREAM IN MERINGUE CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tarter until they are foamy.
• Begin to add the granulated sugar, a spoonful at a time.
• Add the cinnamon.
• Continue to beat until the meringue is very glossy and forms stiff peaks.
• Make individual meringue, spread about 1/2-cup of the meringue into a 3-inch circle on the parchment paper.
• Adding a little more of the egg white mixture, shape a rim around the edges.
• Continue to make more of the meringue shells, spacing evenly across the baking sheet.
• Bake for about 1-1/2 hours or until firm to the touch.
• Turn off the oven, but leave the meringue shells in the warm oven for another hour.
• Cool completely.
• Berries: Mix the berries with vinegar/ sugar and let sit for at least 2 hours.
• Prepare the cream by whipping with the sugar until firm peaks form.
• Fold in pure vanilla, and refrigerate.
• To assemble, place an individual meringue on each plate, top with some of the berry mixture, and add a dollop of whipped cream.
• Sprinkle w/ cinnamon.