Pistachio Mint Meringue Cookies Food

PISTACHIO-CHOCOLATE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350˚. Spread 3/4 cup pistachios on a baking sheet and bake on the lower oven rack until toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the granulated sugar on one of the prepared pans and bake on the lower oven rack until very hot but not melting, about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 225˚.
• Meanwhile, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. About 30 seconds before the sugar comes out of the oven, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the hot sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, using the parchment paper as a funnel. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the meringue is fluffy, about 30 seconds.
• Reline the baking sheet that you used for the sugar with parchment paper. Gently fold the chopped pistachios and chocolate into the meringue with a rubber spatula until just combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe the meringue into 1 3/4-inch-wide mounds (about 1 1/2 inches tall) about 1 inch apart onto the prepared pans. Very finely chop the remaining 2 tablespoons pistachios, then sprinkle on the meringues.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are firm to the touch and lift easily off the parchment, 40 to 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the meringues sit in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the meringues to racks to cool completely.

VANILLA MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F; line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat until the mixture is frothy and soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between each addition. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat for an additional 5 minutes. The egg whites should be glossy and stiff but not dry.
• Spoon the mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 2-inch cookies onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between each cookie.
• Bake for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the cookies in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

PISTACHIO-MINT PESTO

Steps:

• Put the pistachios in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the mint, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse until finely chopped. Add the Pecorino-Romano and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil and process until combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the olives.

MINT MERINGUES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, extract and food coloring if desired on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Gently fold in chocolate chips. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 250° until firm to the touch, 40-45 minutes. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for 1-1/2 hours. Remove to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

PISTACHIO MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil; butter and flour foil. Mix chopped pistachios and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Beat egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar, beating until whites are stiff but not dry. Fold nut mixture into egg whites. Drop meringue onto prepared sheets by rounded tablespoonfuls, spacing 1 inch apart and spreading to form 2 1/2-inch rounds.
• Bake meringues until dry and almost crisp but not yet colored, about 45 minutes. Cool meringues on baking sheets. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Wrap airtight in foil and freeze.)

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.
• Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

PISTACHIO MERINGUES WITH MANGO & MANDARIN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• You can make the ice cream up to a month ahead. First, cut the skin from the mango with a sharp knife, cut the flesh from the stone and chop very finely. Whisk the cream, Cointreau, icing sugar, mandarin zest and juice together until it holds its shape. Fold in the mango. Tip the mixture into a rigid container and freeze for 3 hours until softly frozen, stirring once after 1½ hours.
• Meanwhile make the meringues. Preheat the oven to 120C/gas ½/fan 100C. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment and draw 16 x 6cm circles, spaced well apart, on the sheets. (Use a jar lid measuring 6 cm across as a template.)
• Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Add half the caster sugar and whisk until glossy. Add the remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time while whisking. Fold in the nuts with a large metal spoon.
• Spoon the meringue on to the paper circles and spread to make even rounds. Bake for 1 hour, switching the trays round after 30 minutes. The meringues are ready when firm and sound hollow if tapped. Cool on the trays then peel off the paper.
• When the meringues are cool and the ice cream is softly frozen, sandwich the meringues together in pairs using the ice cream. Put them into a container in a single layer and freeze, along with the leftover ice cream.
• To serve, remove from the freezer and scatter with the extra chopped nuts. Serve on plates and eat with forks.

CLEMENTINE, CRANBERRY & PISTACHIO MERINGUE WREATH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 2 and cut a piece of baking parchment large enough to line your biggest baking sheet. Using a plate as a template, draw a circle roughly 28cm in diameter onto the parchment, then flip it over onto the baking sheet so the pencil marks don't come into contact with the meringue.
• Put the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and beat with an electric whisk until doubled in volume and holding soft peaks. Add the sugar 1 or 2 tbsp at a time, whisking continuously, until the meringue is stiff and shiny, and the sugar has been used up.
• Dab a blob of meringue on each corner of the parchment to stick it to the baking sheet. Using the circle as a guide, spoon 10 mounds of meringue onto the parchment in a wreath shape. Create a little divot in the centre of each one with the back of a teaspoon. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins, then leave in the oven to cool completely (overnight if you can).
• Put the cranberries and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn up the heat and boil for 1-2 mins, until you have a sugary syrup, but the cranberries are still whole. Leave to cool completely.
• When you're ready to serve, place the meringue wreath on a large board or plate. Pour the cream into a bowl, and add the zest and liqueur, if using. Whip until the cream just holds soft peaks. Fill each meringue crevice with a spoonful of cream, then top with 1-2 slices of clementine and some cranberries. Drizzle some cranberry syrup and sprinkle generously with pistachios, then let everyone dive in.

PISTACHIO MERINGUES WITH SUMMER BERRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the pistachio nuts into a shallow roasting tin and toast in the oven for about 7-10 mins until golden. Place in a food processor and blitz until coarsely ground.
• Blend the cornflour and vinegar to a paste. In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gradually add the sugar a tbsp at a time until it forms a stiff glossy mixture.
• Fold most of the pistachios into the meringue, reserving about 2 tbsp. Finally stir through the cornflour mixture. Spoon the mixture onto the baking tray to make four large meringue nests, using the back of the spoon to hollow out the centres. Sprinkle with the reserved pistachios and bake for about 45 mins until firm and crisp on the outside. Turn off the oven, but leave the meringues in to dry out in the warmth until completely cold.
• To serve, place a meringue on each plate and spoon a little crème fraîche into the middle. Sprinkle over the seasonal berries and serve.