The Meringue Dance

Everything is ready. The table is set, the candles are lit, the wine is chilled, a delicious main course is warming in the oven and wafting delicious scents throughout your home. You’re dressed, primped, lip-sticked and ready to hostess what will surely be a night to remember, when all of a sudden you realized you’ve forgotten one crucial element – dessert!

Courtesy of Thea Leworthy Catering

You look frantically at the kitchen clock and suddenly dread the imminent arrival of guests and beloved friends, especially dear George who has the annoyingly polite habit of showing up at least ten minutes early to any function.

But do you throw down the oven mitts and admit defeat? Never! Instead a single word forms in your mind – meringues.

An easy, melt in your mouth dessert, these globs of heaven not only taste divine, but they look elegant on any table as well.

In short, meringues are the salvation to any dinner party dessert faux pas.

All you need to do is this:

1. Gather your ingredients.  2 egg whites, 1 cup of white sugar, and 150 mls of whipped cream.  Seriously, that’s it.

2. Place egg whites into a large bowl and whisk with an electric beater until stiff.

3. Add in sugar slowly — 1 teaspoon at a time is recommended — and continue to whisk at a high speed until all the sugar has been added.

Courtesy of shok

4. Use a large spoon to place ‘blobs’ of the mixture evenly across a cookie sheet covered in waxed paper and shape the ‘blobs’  into ovals.

5. Bake at 250 F for approximately 1 hour, or bake until the ovals can be lifted easily from the waxed paper without sticking.

(Meringues are often called the ‘Forgotten Cookies,’ because they can be left in an oven for several hours after the baking is done, without any harm.  In fact, the dryer they are, the better, so if you get engrossed in a story at the dinner table and don’t hear the calling ‘DING!’ of the oven timer, not to worry.)

6. Once the meringues have cooled, spread whipped cream on one side of an oval and sandwich together with another.

7. Arrange on a serving platter and tra-la!!! You’re done! Dessert is served! Disaster averted!  Congratulations!

Courtesy of Cake Lover

And if you have the time, as always, creativity can be added to your baking!

Place mixture into an icing tube, squiggle onto the cookie sheet and then bake.  Drizzle chocolate sauce, top with sprinkles, garnish with fruit, add nuts, COLOUR, vanilla, hazelnut or caramel extracts!

Experiment with shape; swirl, flatten, stack or cupcake!  Do whatever you wish to make these light fluffy treats a hit!

Either way, whether classically presented or creatively infused, meringues have it all, looks, taste and easy assembly.