Ten Marvelous Meringue Recipes

Celebrate summer with layers of this whipped confection

By WomansDay.com Staff Posted June 04, 2010 from WomansDay.com

Light as air and sweet as can be, meringue makes for the perfect warm-weather treat. Beautiful and gravity-defying, meringue is simple in terms of ingredients—using just egg whites, cream of tartar and granulated sugar—but technique is everything. Egg whites and cream of tartar are whipped at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; sugar is then added by the tablespoon until it’s dissolved and stiff peaks form. But that’s not all: The eggs must be fresh and not too cold, no trace of yolk can make its way into the mixture, and it has to be beaten into the right consistency—under- or over-whipping guarantees an unusable, gloppy mess. When done right, however, the result is a smooth and pliable concoction that can’t be beat. Whether piled high atop a pie or piped into various cookie shapes, these sugary confections are full of flavor you’ll swoon for.                                                                                 

Meringue Dessert Recipes:
1. Lemon Meringue Pie
There’s no cutting corners with this traditional recipe, which pairs a butter crust with a tart, jelly-like filling of egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest, topped with meringue.
2. Pavlova with Summer Fruit
Vanilla extract adds a little something to this meringue, which gets baked and topped with a blend of whipped topping and sour cream as well as mixed fresh fruit.
3. Pastel Sandwiched Meringues
A trio of pretty pastel colors makes these little sandwich bites irresistible—as does the filling of chocolaty Nutella hazelnut spread.
4. Baked Alaska Pie
This festive frozen pie looks like a lot of work but isn’t, using a ready-made crust and store-bought sorbets, which leave you plenty of time to master the meringue topping.
5. Lemon-Raspberry Meringue Tart
Sweet and citrusy, this bright-colored tart is a delicious combination of lemon bar mix, homemade meringue and fresh raspberries.
6. Twice-Kissed Meringues
With their delicate shapes in shades of soft pink, white and brown, these meringues make for an ideal hostess gift—even better given the chocolate surprise in the middle.
7. Lemon Meringue Nests
Jazz up the classic lemon meringue pie by making these little tarts of frozen puff pastry filled with lemon pie filling mix and dollops of meringue.
8. Raspberry Meringue Hearts
Romance isn’t just for Valentine’s Day—keep the flame afire with these endearing pink heart-shaped meringues made with raspberry extract.
9. Berry Pavlova
Sweet and tart flavors combine for a smashing dessert that’s great in summer, with baked meringue stacked tall with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
10. Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pudding Cups (shown above)
A pert swirl of golden-brown meringue caps off these perfectly proportioned cups of lemon custard made with lemon zest, eggs, lemon juice and milk.

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