Nothing says summer deliciousness more than fresh berries; strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. All enjoyed hundreds of ways, but one of the most delicious ways that is often forgotten about is when served over traditional Meringues and using our meringue powder is the simplest way to sweet perfection!
Like little sweet clouds, Meringues are a simple and yet decadent dessert that has been around since the early 1700’s thanks to a creative Swiss pastry chef, the original meringue is simple egg whites and sugar with lots of whipping. But did you know an even easier way is with Meringue Powder!
Meringue powder is an extremely convenient substitute for egg whites (which have to be messily separated and usually have to wait to be brought to room temperature before use). Meringue Powder also has a long shelf life and is a key ingredient in Royal Icing and works wonderfully in Buttercreme Icing as well.
Generally 2 teaspoons of meringue powder + 2 tablespoons water = 1 large egg white.
But back to Meringues with Fresh Summer Berries……
Find some fresh summer berries and wash & pat dry. If using strawberries, slice and toss with a little bit of sugar to make a natural syrup
For the Meringues:
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup meringue powder
1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or another flavor of your choice)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the meringue powder and water. Mix with the whisk attachment on high speed until soft peaks form.
- With the mixer still running on high, gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s all used and stiff peaks form. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Check the batter for smoothness by rubbing a small amount between your fingers to be sure all sugar is dissolved and it’s no longer gritty. If it is grainy, mix longer until it’s smooth and glossy.
- Mix in vanilla (or another flavor).
- Scoop some batter into a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip. Pipe desired shapes onto the cookie sheets.
- Bake for 45 minutes at 250°F. Turn the oven off, slightly open the oven door and leave the cookies overnight (or for 6-8 hours) until they’re completely dry and crispy. It’s best to ‘peel’ the meringue cookies off the sheets than to use a spatula.
SOME MERINGUE TIPS BEFORE YOU GET STARTED
You want to beat the meringue powder & water until you have really stiff peaks that are glossy and thick, usually a lot longer than you think.
For a super easy cleanup line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Get creative!! You can add in a tiny drop of color to the mixture or stripe your popping bag for color. And you can easily change out the vanilla extract for orange, peppermint or some other flavor. Did you know we have over 50 flavors in-store from watermelon to tutty fruit to butter pecan and so much more (even bacon!).
A large tip is best for piping out your shapes.
If you find your Meringue cookies are chewy after baking, stick them back in the oven for 10-15 minutes to get the crunch effect you want.
The best tip and also one reason old-time cooks call these the forgotten cookies is because it’s best to leave the cookies in the oven overnight (and forget them!) so they dry out really well. This will make them perfectly light and crispy!
AND if you live in Missouri CLICK HERE for a great resource for farms where you can Pick-Your-Own Berries!