Frozen Strawberry Meringue Food

STRAWBERRY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
• Using a pencil, mark out the circumference of a dinner plate on baking parchment.
• Whisk 4 egg whites with a hand mixer until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in 250g caster sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until the meringue looks glossy.
• Whisk in 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• Spread the meringue inside the circle, creating a crater by making the sides a little higher than the middle.
• Bake for 1 hr, then turn off the heat and let the Pavlova cool completely inside the oven.
• When the meringue is cool, chop 100g of the hulled strawberries. Mix them with 100g of the redcurrants and 2 tbsp icing sugar.
• Place in a food processor, blitz until smooth, then push the fruit mixture through a sieve.
• Whip 350ml double cream with the remaining 1 tbsp icing sugar and spread it over the meringue. Put the remaining 400g hulled and halved strawberries and 100g redcurrants on the cream and finally pour the sauce over the whole lot.

STRAWBERRY CREAM PARFAITS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, using a potato masher or fork, mash the berries and any juices into a chunky sauce.
• Place the sour cream in a 1-cup measuring cup. Add enough chilled heavy cream to fill the cup completely. Scrape the cream mixture into a deep medium bowl. Beat the mixture until thick and stiff with a handheld electric mixer. Fold in the broken meringues.
• Divide the sauce in half and spoon into the bottom of four serving bowls or glasses. Divide the cream mixture in half and spoon on top of the sauce. Repeat the layers using the remaining sauce and cream mixture. Top each parfait with a meringue half and serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY MERINGUE CLOUDS

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until the mixture holds soft peaks, about 1 minute. With the machine running on medium-high speed, add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is thick and holds stiff peaks, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract. Using a spatula, fold in the strawberries and lemon zest, taking care not to deflate the batter.
• Using a 1/4-cup-size ice cream scoop, scoop heaped mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool completely while still in the oven, about 2 hours.
• The meringues can be stored in an airtight plastic container for up to 4 days.

FROZEN STRAWBERRY SOUFFLE

Steps:

• In a large bowl beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.
• Add 1 cup sugar and beat until disolved.
• Stir in 1/2 cup strawberry puree.
• Place in top of double boiler and cook over hot water until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently; allow to cool.
• Add Grand Marnier, a little at a time,until thoroughly blended.
• Combine 1 cup sugar and orange juice in a 1-quart saucepan.
• Cook, uncovered,over medium-low heat, stirring until disolved.
• Continue cooking without stirring until mixture reaches the soft ball stage(245 degrees).
• While orange juice and sugar are cooking, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Very slowly pour in hot orange syrup, beating until stiff peaks form.
• Whip cream and fold into yolk mixture.
• Fold in remaining strawberry puree.
• Gently but thoroughly fold in meringue.
• Spoon into oiled and collared 1 1/2 quart souffle dish.
• Freeze about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• When firm, carefully wrap in freezer paper, securing edges with masking tape.
• To serve, remove collar and press chopped pistachios around sides of souffle.
• Whip cream and use to garnish top.
• Decorate with strawberries and serve with raspberry sauce.
• Raspberry Sauce:.
• Combine the thawed raspberries and the Grand Marnier and blend well.

FROZEN STRAWBERRY MERINGUE

Steps:

• Separate crushed strawberries in half.
• Set aside 1 cup for the meringue and sweeten the other cup to taste with the honey or powdered sugar.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks.
• Add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time until the meringue is thick and glossy.
• Add the reserved cup of strawberries and beat just to blend.
• Transfer the meringue to a covered freezer container.
• Freeze for at least 1 hour (can be stored for 1 month in freezer).
• To serve, spoon crushed, sweetened berries into 4 brandy glasses or bowls.
• Top with the meringue.
• Garnish with mint and sliced berries if desired.

EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Wash, clean, and hull the strawberries. Place them in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pass it thru a sieve to remove seeds.
• Pour into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the strawberry puree has reduced to almost 1/3 of its original volume.Pro tip - Reducing the puree will concentrate the flavor with less liquid.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3.
• Grease and line 2× 6-inch baking pans with parchment paper. You can also double this recipe to make 2 x 8-inch round cakes.Pro tip - I am baking in 2 pans, so I can torte in half to make four. But, you can also use 3 x 6-inch round pans to make 3 layers. That way you don't have to torte.
• Dry ingredients - Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is well incorporated. Pro tip - Adding eggs one at a time will prevent the batter from curdling.
• Next, add the flour mixture, sour cream, and strawberry puree in three batches making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Then, add the vanilla and strawberry extract and combine well.Pro tip - Do not overmix at this stage as we do not want to activate the gluten in our flour.
• Pour the batter into the two prepared baking pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes on the middle rack or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Pro tip - It is a great idea to use cake strips around my baking pans to prevent a dome. That way you don't lose much height on your layer cakes.
• Once baked, leave in the pan for no more than 10 minutes. Then, invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Pro tip - Always frost cakes only when they are completely cooled. Otherwise, the frosting will melt.
• Watch my video on how to make Swiss meringue buttercream.
• Place egg whites and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer.Pro tip - Make sure the bowl is grease-free. Otherwise, the egg whites will not whip.
• Using a whisk, place the bowl over a double boiler and constantly whip until all the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are fairly warm (about 160 F).Pro tip - You don't need a thermometer, as long as all the sugar has completely melted your eggs are ready to use.
• Take the bowl off the heat and whip the egg whites until you have a thick meringue with stiff peaks.Pro tip - It is best to start whipping eggs at medium speed then increase speed as you go for the best meringue.
• Let the mixer continue to whip on medium-low speed until the mixer bowl feels cool to touch. Then, gradually add butter, one cube at a time, with the mixer at medium speed.Pro tip - It is VERY important that the meringue is cooled completely before you add the butter. Otherwise, you will have a soupy mess.
• Once all the butter is added, whip on medium-high for 2 minutes. Lastly, add the vanilla and strawberry extract. Combine well until everything is well combined.
• Watch this video showing how I level, torte, and fill the cakes.Pro tip - Make sure the cakes are completely cold. Otherwise, the frosting will melt. Plus, the cakes are more delicate to handle. Chilling the cakes makes them easier to work with.
• Using a bread knife or cake leveler, cut the domes off the cake layers. Then, divide each layer in half horizontally so you have four layers (2 x 2 = 4 layers).
• Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup. Pro tip - To enhance the strawberry flavor you can add a few drops of strawberry extract or strawberry puree to simple syrup to make a strawberry syrup.
• Next, place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of buttercream - spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula.
• Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.Pro tip - Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don't move when you frost the outside. Though, if you leave the cake uncovered in the fridge for too long it can dry out. So, 10 minutes is all you need.
• Spread the remaining buttercream around and the top of the cake.Pro tip - A straight-edge spatula for the top, an off-set spatula, and a bench scraper for the sides work better.
• Divide the remaining buttercream in two. Add pink gel food color to one half. Put both colors of buttercream in a piping bag with a star piping tip nozzle.
• Pipe swirls around and top of the cake. These swirls are exactly what you would do on a cupcake just smaller in size. Decorate as desired.
• Enjoy!

FROZEN STRAWBERRY LEMON MERINGUE TORTE

Steps:

• Make the meringue layers:
• Line 2 buttered baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and on them trace 3 circles using the bottom of an 8 1/2-inch springform pan as a guide. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, add the sugar gradually, beating, and beat the whites until they hold stiff glossy peaks. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip, beginning in the middle of each parchment circle pipe the meringue in a tight spiral to fill in each circle, and smooth the tops. Bake the meringues on 2 racks in a preheated 250°F. oven, switching the baking sheets from one rack to the other every 30 minutes, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until they are firm when touched and very pale golden. Remove the parchment with the meringue from the baking sheets, let the meringue cool on it, and peel off the parchment carefully. The meringue layers may be made 1 day in advance and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature. With a serrated knife trim the meringue layers so that they will just fit inside the 3 1/2-inch springform pan.
• Oil the pan, line it with plastic wrap, leaving on overhang, and arrange 1 of the meringue layers, smooth side down, in the bottom.
• Make the lemon filling
• In heavy saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over the water, let it soften for 1 minute, and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved. Whisk in the lemon juice, the sugar, the egg yolks, and zest and cook the mixture over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170°F. on a candy thermometer. Transfer the mixture to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir it occasionally until it is very thick but not set. In a bowl beat the cream until it holds soft peaks and fold it into the lemon mixture.
• Pour the lemon filling over the meringue layer in the springform pan, top it with 1 of the remaining meringue layers, and freeze the torte for 1 hour, or until the lemon filling is firm.
• Make the strawberry filling:
• In a heavy saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over the water, let it soften for 1 minute, and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved. In a food processor or blender purée the strawberries with the preserves and the sugar, whisk the purée and the egg yolks into the gelatin mixture, and cook the mixture over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170°F. on a candy thermometer. Transfer the mixture to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir it occasionally until it is very thick but not set. In a bowl beat the cream until it holds soft peaks and fold it into the strawberry mixture.
• Pour the strawberry filling over the meringue layer in the springform pan, top it with the remaining meringue layer, smooth side up, and fold the plastic wrap overhang over the top. Freeze the torte for 2 hours, or until it is frozen. The torte may be prepared up to this point 2 days in advance and dept wrapped well and frozen.
• Make the frosting:
• In a small saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over the water, let it soften for 1 minute, and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved. In a bowl beat the heavy cram and the sour cream with the confectioners' sugar until the mixture just holds stiff peaks, add the gelatin mixture in a stream, beating, and beat the frosting until it holds stiff peaks.
• Remove the side of the pan and transfer the torte to a serving plate, discarding the plastic wrap. Spread a thin layer of the frosting on the top and side of the torte and freeze the torte for 10 minutes, or until the frosting is firm. Transfer the remaining frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip (such as a basket-weave tip), pipe it over the torte, and freeze the torte for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Let the torte stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving and garnish it with the strawberries.

FROZEN STRAWBERRY MERINGUE

Steps:

• 1. Crushed Strawberries: Wash berries under cold, running water. Remove hulls. Drain. Put berries into a small bowl. Mash with a potato masher or the rim of a glass. Set aside 1 cup to beat into the meringue. Sweeten remaining crushed berries to taste with powdered sugar or honey. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• 2. Preparation: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until the hold soft moist peaks.
• 3. Add sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time and beating constantly until meringue is thick and glossy.
• 4. Add the 1 cup crushed strawberries.
• 5. Beat on medium speed just to blend.
• 6. Transfer meringue mixture to a freezer container.
• 7. Cover or wrap well.
• 8. Freeze at least 1 hour until solid. (You can store in the freezer up to 1 month).
• 9. To serve, spoon crushed, sweetened-to-taste berries evenly in the bottom of 4 individual stemmed glasses or shallow dishes.
• 10. Top with frozen berry meringue.
• 11. Garnish with strawberries and mint sprigs, if desired.