Mixed Berry Meringues

March 16, 2014

Mixed Berry Meringues

This Mixed Berry Meringues recipe is slightly adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. It is perfectly sweet and not too heavy. The strawberries, blueberries and raspberries macerated in raspberry liqueur sends this over the top! I hope you enjoy!

Mixed Berry Meringues

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours

Difficulty: High Yields: 8 meringues

Ingredients:

4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream, recipe follows
Macerated Berries, recipe follows

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Macerated Berries:

1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small glass and a pencil, draw 4 (3 1/2-inch) circles on each piece of paper. Turn the paper face down on the baking sheets.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed until frothy. Add 2/3 cup of the sugar and continue beating on high speed until the egg whites form very stiff peaks. Whisk in the vanilla. Carefully fold the remaining 1/3 cup sugar into the meringue. With a large star-shaped pastry tip, pipe a disk of meringue inside each circle. Pipe another layer around the edge to form the sides of the shells.

Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringues are dry and crisp but not browned. Turn off the heat and allow the meringues to sit in the oven for 4 hours or overnight.

For serving, place each meringue on a separate plate and top the shell with whipped cream and macerated berries.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat!

Macerated Berries:

Place the strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries in a medium-sized bowl. Next, add the sugar and liqueur and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.