Egg Shaped Meringue Nests Food

MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large clean dry bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 more minute. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe eight 3-inch disks on the baking sheets, then pipe around the edge of the disks to create 2-inch-high sides. Bake at 250 degrees F until dry and crisp, about 3 hours. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 1 week.
• For the filling, whisk the mascarpone with the confectioners' sugar, then whisk in the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Spoon into the meringue nests; top with sugar pearls.

EGG-SHAPED MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Draw eight 3-inch egg shapes on a piece of parchment. Place on a baking sheet, marked-side down.
• Beat egg whites, lemon juice, and vanilla on medium-low until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Sift cornstarch over bowl and fold into whites with lemon zest.
• Fit a pastry bag with a large fluted tip (such as Ateco #825) and fill bag with meringue. Secure corners of parchment to baking sheet with dabs of meringue. Pipe a border of meringue along the inside of an egg shape, then add an extra layer around perimeter to form a 1-inch collar. Pipe a dab of meringue in the center and smooth with the back of a spoon to create an indentation. Repeat with remaining egg shapes.
• Bake 1 hour. Reduce heat to 175 degrees and bake until meringue has dried and is firm enough to pull off the baking sheet, 3 to 4 1/2 hours. Let cool completely before filling with curd and sprinkling with poppy seeds.

MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. , Drop meringue into 8 mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-in. cups with the back of a spoon. Or place meringue mixture in pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe meringue onto parchment to form eight 3-in. cups., Bake at 275° for 45-50 minutes or until set and dry. Turn off oven and do not open door; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Fill with fruit. If desired, top with whipped cream and mint.

LEMON CURD FOR MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Whisk together eggs and yolks, then combine with sugar and lemon juice in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats back of a spoon, 12 to 14 minutes. Strain into a small bowl. Add butter a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Stir in lemon zest. Press parchment or plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to prevent skin from forming. Let cool completely in refrigerator before using, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

EGG IN CHEESE MERINGUE NEST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet that can take high temperatures without warping, with parchment paper or Silpat.
• Separate the egg yolks from the whites. It helps if you are making more than one egg nest to keep each egg yolk in a separate prep bowl.
• Place the egg whites in a very clean mixer bowl and add the salt. Beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment in a mixer (or using a hand mixer), starting on low speed and then slowly increasing to high speed, until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold in the grated Gruyere cheese, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.
• Create two mounds of the egg white mixture on the lined baking sheet. Form the mounds so they look like nests, with indentations in the centers.
• Place in the oven for 3 minutes.
• After 3 minutes, open the oven, pull out the rack with the egg white nests, and gently add an egg yolk to the center of each nest.
• Return the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Serve immediately.

MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, begin whipping the egg whites with the salt at medium speed until frothy.
• Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and whip until the egg whites thicken and begin to hold their shape. Continue whipping the whites while adding the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once the sugar's been added, add the vanilla and continue to whip for 2 minutes, until stiff and glossy.
• Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and sift the confectioners' sugar over the meringue while simultaneously folding it in.
• Divide the meringue into 8 portions, evenly spaced, on the baking sheet. (They'll all fit if you arrange 3 down each side lengthwise and 2 in the center.)
• Take a spoon, dip it in water, tap off the excess, and make a hollow in the center of each meringue, like mashed potatoes in preparation for gravy.
• Bake the meringues for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and continue to let the meringues dry out in the oven for 1 hour more.
• The meringues are done when they feel dry and lift easily off the parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Variations
• Meringue nests lend themselves to many variations. Here are some of my favorites. Simply fold the additional ingredients into the meringue after adding in the confectioners' sugar.
• Cinnamon: 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Coconut: 1/2 cup (40 g) dried shredded coconut, toasted
• Cocoa Nib: 6 tablespoons (60 g) cocoa nibs
• Coffee: 1 tablespoon best-quality instant coffee (crush the crystals into a fine powder with the back of a spoon first) or espresso powder
• Chocolate: 3 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Chocolate Chip: 1/2 cup (80 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (regular or mini)
• Chocolate-Chocolate Chip: 3 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and 1/3 cup (60 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (regular or mini)
• Green Tea and Black Sesame: 1 1/2 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder) and 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
• For Almond Meringue Nests: Replace the vanilla with 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and press 2 tablespoons sliced almonds into the top of each meringue before baking.
• Storage
• Once cool, store the meringues in an absolutely airtight container until ready to serve. They can be made 1 week in advance.