Meringue Cups from epicurious
Restaurant-Style Meringue
People love to order meringues in restaurants, and this past year the dessert showed up on practically every menu. Making them at home, though, can be a bit of a mystery. How do mere egg whites and sugar become so airy, crunchy and downright delightful?
As it turns out, anyone can whip up these egg-white wonders. It's easy with this recipe — complete with step-by-step instructions — from our associate food editor Lena Cederham Birnbaum. Meringues are so simple to make, in fact, that she takes them to another level: She forms vacherins — meringue cups — and fills them with raspberry sorbet, a delicious berry and cardamom sauce, and fresh berries.
All in all, this is one of the best desserts we've tried lately: It has the style of a restaurant dish, it's much easier to put together than it looks, and it can be prepared ahead of time. Mystery solved.
8 servings
MERINGUES
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Position 1 rack in bottom third and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 3 1/4- to 3 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter as template, heavily trace 4 circles on each parchment sheet. Turn parchment over so that marked side faces down (circles will show through).
Whisk sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Using heavy-duty or handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat whites in large bowl until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
Add sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until whites are very stiff and glossy, at least 4 minutes with heavy-duty mixer and 6 to 8 minutes with handheld.
Scoop enough meringue into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip to fill 3/4 full. Pipe small dot of meringue under parchment in each corner of baking sheets. Press parchment onto dots.
Starting in center of 1 marked circle, pipe meringue in continuous spiral to fill circle completely. Pipe 1 meringue circle atop edge of base circle, forming standing rim.
Repeat, piping 2 more circles atop first, forming meringue cup. Pipe 3 more cups on sheet, filling bag with meringue as needed. Pipe 4 cups on second sheet.
Bake meringues 3 hours without opening oven door (sides of meringues may settle slightly). Turn off oven; let meringues stand in closed oven over-night to dry completely. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight in single layer.)
SAUCE
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 16-ounce package frozen unsweetened mixed berries(do not thaw)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Whisk jam, sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and jam melts. Boil until sauce thickens and is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, whisking often, about 7 minutes. Add berries and cardamom; stir gently. Remove from heat; let stand 1 hour to thaw fruit. Cover; chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
ASSEMBLY
If you freeze the vacherins, the meringues will be tender and chewy rather than crisp.
3 pints raspberry sorbet
Fresh raspberries
Fresh mint sprigs
Scoop sorbet into vacherins. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap tightly; freeze.) Spoon sauce over. Garnish with berries and mint. Serve with remaining sauce.
As it turns out, anyone can whip up these egg-white wonders. It's easy with this recipe — complete with step-by-step instructions — from our associate food editor Lena Cederham Birnbaum. Meringues are so simple to make, in fact, that she takes them to another level: She forms vacherins — meringue cups — and fills them with raspberry sorbet, a delicious berry and cardamom sauce, and fresh berries.
All in all, this is one of the best desserts we've tried lately: It has the style of a restaurant dish, it's much easier to put together than it looks, and it can be prepared ahead of time. Mystery solved.
VACHERINS WITH RASPBERRY SORBET AND MIXED BERRY-CARDAMOM SAUCE
8 servings
MERINGUES
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Position 1 rack in bottom third and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 3 1/4- to 3 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter as template, heavily trace 4 circles on each parchment sheet. Turn parchment over so that marked side faces down (circles will show through).
Whisk sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Using heavy-duty or handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat whites in large bowl until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
Add sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until whites are very stiff and glossy, at least 4 minutes with heavy-duty mixer and 6 to 8 minutes with handheld.
Scoop enough meringue into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip to fill 3/4 full. Pipe small dot of meringue under parchment in each corner of baking sheets. Press parchment onto dots.
Starting in center of 1 marked circle, pipe meringue in continuous spiral to fill circle completely. Pipe 1 meringue circle atop edge of base circle, forming standing rim.
Repeat, piping 2 more circles atop first, forming meringue cup. Pipe 3 more cups on sheet, filling bag with meringue as needed. Pipe 4 cups on second sheet.
Bake meringues 3 hours without opening oven door (sides of meringues may settle slightly). Turn off oven; let meringues stand in closed oven over-night to dry completely. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight in single layer.)
SAUCE
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 16-ounce package frozen unsweetened mixed berries(do not thaw)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Whisk jam, sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and jam melts. Boil until sauce thickens and is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, whisking often, about 7 minutes. Add berries and cardamom; stir gently. Remove from heat; let stand 1 hour to thaw fruit. Cover; chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
ASSEMBLY
If you freeze the vacherins, the meringues will be tender and chewy rather than crisp.
3 pints raspberry sorbet
Fresh raspberries
Fresh mint sprigs
Scoop sorbet into vacherins. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap tightly; freeze.) Spoon sauce over. Garnish with berries and mint. Serve with remaining sauce.
— Bon Appétit, January 2000
http://www.epicurious.com/bonappetit/cooking_class/vacherin
posted by Skylightsky @ 8:36 AM
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