Festive Meringue And Pear Dessert Food

FESTIVE MERINGUE DESSERTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F.
• Beat egg whites in medium bowl with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly until stiff peaks form. Blend in vanilla.
• Spoon or pipe egg white mixture into 3 (4-inch) rounds on each of 2 parchment- or foil-covered baking sheets. Use large spoon to make large indentation in center of each round, building up side as much as possible.
• Bake, one pan at a time, on center oven rack 55 min. or until meringues are dry and golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely on baking sheets. Carefully remove meringues from parchment.
• Combine berries; set aside. Microwave chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring after each minute.
• Fill meringues with berries just before serving; top with COOL WHIP. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

TRAY-BAKED MERINGUE WITH PEARS, CREAM, TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a sheet of waxed paper.
• Put your egg whites into a squeaky clean bowl, making sure there are absolutely no little pieces of egg shell or egg yolk in them. Whisk on medium until the whites form firm peaks. With your mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and the pinch of salt. Turn the mixer up to the highest setting and whisk for about 7 or 8 minutes, until the meringue mixture is white and glossy. To test whether it's done you can pinch some between your fingers - if it feels completely smooth it's ready; if it's slightly granular it needs a little more whisking.
• Dot each corner of the waxed paper with a blob of meringue, then turn it over and stick it to the baking sheet. Spoon the meringue out onto the paper. Using the back of a spoon, shape and swirl it into a rectangle. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until crisp on the outside and a little soft and sticky inside. At the same time, bake the hazelnuts on a separate sheet in the oven for 1 hour or until golden brown.
• Drain the cans of pears, reserving the syrup from 1 can. Cut each pear half into 3 slices. Pour the pear syrup into a saucepan with the ginger, if using, and warm gently over a medium heat until it starts to simmer. Take off the heat and snap the chocolate into the saucepan, stirring with a spoon until it's all melted.
• Take the meringue and hazelnuts out of the oven and leave to cool. Place the meringue on a nice rustic board or platter. Whip the cream with the sifted icing sugar and the vanilla seeds until it forms smooth, soft peaks. Smash the toasted hazelnuts (in a kitchen towel) and sprinkle half of them over the top of the meringue. Spoon half the whipped cream over the top and drizzle with some of the chocolate sauce (if the sauce has firmed up, melt it slightly by holding the saucepan over a large pan of boiling water). Divide most of the pear pieces evenly over the top. Pile over the rest of the whipped cream and pears. Drizzle with some more chocolate sauce, then sprinkle over the remaining toasted hazelnuts with some grated orange zest. Serve straightaway. If you're making this in advance, get everything ready and assemble at the last minute.

PEARS WITH RASPBERRIES AND MERINGUE

Steps:

• Peel the pears using a swivel-bladed paring knife. Cut away the stems.
• Combine enough water to cover the pears when added and 4 tablespoons lemon juice and add the pears as they are peeled.
• Cut the pears lengthwise in half. Scoop out the cores, and a little of the meat, of each half to form a nice-sized cavity.
• Combine the 3 cups water with 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and the vanilla bean or extract. Bring to the boil and add the pear halves and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. When the mixture returns to the boil reduce the heat and cook about 20 minutes or until pears are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove the pears and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Let the pears cool.
• Put half of the berries in the container of a food processor or electric blender and blend while gradually adding the reserved 1 cup of pear-cooking liquid and the orange juice. This mixture may be used as is, but it is best to put it through a fine sieve of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. There should be about 1 1/3 cups.
• Fill the cavity of each pear with about 3 of the remaining berries. Quickly invert the pears on an ovenproof serving dish.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating until stiff. Spoon the resulting meringue into a pastry bag outfitted with a star-shaped tube (No. 3B). Squeeze out the meringue in star patterns over the pears. Pour the sauce around the pears. Place the dish under the broiler about 4 inches from the source of heat. Broil briefly until the tips of the stars are browned. Garnish around the sauce with a circle of the remaining raspberries.

FESTIVE MERINGUE AND PEAR DESSERT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F.
• Beat egg whites in large bowl with mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating constantly until stiff peaks form. Blend in vanilla. Stir in nuts.
• Spoon or pipe egg white mixture into 3 (4-inch) rounds on each of 2 parchment- or foil-covered baking sheets. Use large spoon to make large indentation in center of each round, building up side of each round as much as possible.
• Bake 55 min. or until meringues are dry and golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely on baking sheets. Carefully remove meringues from parchment.
• Cut pears into thin slices; place in large nonstick skillet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and remaining sugar; cook on medium-high heat 3 min. or until sugar is melted and pears are evenly coated with sugar syrup, stirring occasionally. Spoon into centers of meringues; drizzle with caramel topping. Top with COOL WHIP.

PEARS IN PORT WITH MERINGUE CREAM

Steps:

• Pour the port into a large pan with 600ml water, add the sugar and cinnamon, then heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20-30 mins until tender all the way through. They are ready when a cocktail stick can be easily pushed through each one. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the pears in 2 batches using the same port syrup, or turn the pears several times as they cook so they become an even colour. Let the pears cool in their syrup, preferably overnight to allow the syrup to really stain them. Will keep for 3 days in the fridge.
• Check the consistency of the syrup. If it is very thin, boil it in a pan to reduce the amount and concentrate the flavour.
• To serve, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until it holds its shape, then fold in the meringue. Sprinkle with the cinnamon. Arrange the pears in a shallow dish and spoon over the syrup. Allow guests to help themselves to both pears and cream.