Meringue Porcupines Food

MERINGUE PORCUPINES WITH CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Scoop spoonful of meringue onto large oval soup spoon, and use another soup spoon to form meringue into shape of small egg. Use second spoon to push meringue oval off first spoon, and onto parchment. Spoon 12 ovals onto each prepared baking sheet. Using a small offset spatula, pull out spikes of meringue, creating porcupine effect.
• Reduce oven to 200 degrees; bake until meringues are crisp on outside but have marshmallow consistency inside, about 1 hour. Reduce oven to 175 degrees if meringue starts to brown. Remove from oven, and gently press bottom of each meringue so that it caves in and can be filled. Turn off oven, and return to oven to dry, about 20 minutes. Let meringues cool completely before filling.
• Combine the cream and almond extract in a chilled bowl of an electric mixer, and whip on medium speed, until just stiff, about 2 minutes. Fill half the hollowed meringues with cream, the remaining half with preserves, and sandwich together. Serve as soon as possible after filling.

ALMOND MERINGUE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until whites are shiny and firm, about 3 minutes. Fold in ground almonds.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with Ateco #864 star tip with meringue. Pipe out 2-inch-round cookies onto prepared baking sheets.
• Place in the oven, and bake until the meringues just start to color, about 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, and let the meringues dry for 4 hours or overnight. For a quicker method, reduce the heat after 15 minutes to 175 degrees. and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, scald cream in a small saucepan. Place chocolate in a medium mixing bowl, and pour hot cream over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is smooth and melted. Let cool completely. Fill a pastry bag with chocolate filling, and pipe out onto half the cookies -- the bottom sandwich halves. Make sandwiches with remaining cookies, and serve. Sandwiches can be stored in airtight containers for 2 to 3 days.

MERINGUE PORCUPINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
• Scoop a spoonful of meringue onto large oval soup spoon, and use another soup spoon to form meringue into shape of small egg. Use second spoon to push meringue oval off first spoon and onto parchment. Spoon 12 ovals onto each prepared baking sheet. Using a small offset spatula, pull out spikes of meringue, creating a porcupine effect.
• Bake cookies until they are crisp on outside but have marshmallow consistency inside, about 1 hour. Reduce oven to 175 degrees if meringue starts to brown. Remove from oven, and gently press bottom of each meringue so that it caves in and can be filled. Turn off oven, and return meringues to oven to dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on parchment on wire racks before filling.
• Put cream and almond extract in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until just stiff, about 2 minutes. Fill half of the hollowed meringues with cream, and the remaining halves with preserves. Sandwich together. Serve immediately.

ULTIMATE MERINGUE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼.
• Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
• Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
• Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
• Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy.
• Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape. Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer.
• Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
• Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.