Coconut Topped Meringues Infused With Vanilla Bean Food

COCONUT-TOPPED MERINGUES INFUSED WITH VANILLA BEAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Using a 4-inch round template such as an inverted bowl, draw 6 circles, evenly spaced, on parchment; place, marked sides down, on a baking sheet.
• With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Beat in vanilla seeds. Gradually add sugar; beat until combined. Raise speed to high, and beat until stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 15 minutes.
• Spoon meringue onto each circle (do not smooth tops). Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon coconut over half of each mound. Bake, leaving oven door slightly ajar, until outside is crisp and bottom can be removed easily from parchment, about 3 hours. Let cool. Meringues can be stored in a single layer in an airtight container up to 2 days.

VANILLA BEAN-COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH COCONUT FROSTING

Steps:

• For reduced coconut milk:
• Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to mediumlow; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• For cupcakes:
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.
• For frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to mediumhigh and beat until light and fluffy.
• Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. (Alternatively, top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting. Using small offset spatula, swirl frosting over top of cupcakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.) Sprinkle with coconut. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight containers; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Available at many supermarkets and at Indian, Southeast Asian, and Latin markets.

VANILLA MERINGUES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and vanilla. When whites begin to hold stiff peaks, gradually add half the sugar. When peaks become glossy, gently fold in remaining sugar.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and use a pastry bag with a star tip or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut out to form small mounds of meringue mixture, each about an inch wide and tall.
• Bake meringues until hard, about 2 hours. Meringues are ready when they release from parchment paper. Turn oven off, prop door open and allow meringues to sit in oven for another hour or so.

COCONUT CREAM MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a saucepan; stirring constantly, slowly bring to a boil over low heat and cook until thick, about 30 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; fold 3/4 cup coconut into the mixture with the vanilla extract. Pour the coconut mixture into the baked pie crust.
• Beat egg whites in a glass or metal bowl until foamy. Gradually add cream of tartar and 6 tablespoons white sugar, continuing to beat until soft peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites will form soft mounds rather than a sharp peak. Spread egg white mixture over the pie. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut over the pie.
• Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool until completely cooled to the touch, about 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

COCONUT TOPPED MERINGUES INFUSED WITH VANILLA BEAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F Line a rimmed sheet with parchment. Using a 4-inch round template such as an inverted bowl, draw 6 circles evenly spaced on parchement; place marked sides, on a baking sheet.
• With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Beat in vanilla seeds. Gradually add sugar; beat until combined. Raise speed to high, and beat until stiff (but not dry), peaks form, about 15 minutes.
• Spoon meringue onto each circle, do not smooth tops. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoons coconut over half of each mound. Bake, leaving oven door slightly ajar, until outside is crisp and bottom can be removed easily from parchment, about 3 hours. Let cool, Meringues can be stored in a single layer in an airtight container up to 2 days.