Strawberry Cream Meringues

What can I say? Dessert is my favorite part of the meal. I especially enjoy light, sweet and luscious desserts like this one. It has been a while since I made this, but now I am craving it again. This is a real contender for Valentine’s day.

Make the meringues in a heart shape for a romantic dessert. (Mine shown are not.) The whipped cream and strawberries on a meringue shell is a light and luscious dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth with a minimum of sugar.

Don’t put the cream into the meringue shells until you are ready to serve these, the meringue will begin to melt from the moisture if they have to sit at all.

Valentine Meringue Hearts

Meringues:

3 Egg whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar

1 dash Salt

1 cup Sugar

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup whipping cream

3 to 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste

1 pint Strawberries, sliced -reserve a few for garnish

Mint leaves for garnish- optional

Directions:

Cut a heart pattern from a 4-1/2 inch square of paper. Cover baking sheet with brown paper. (You can bake on the brown paper so make sure it is clean.) Grocery store bags without writing on them are okay. Draw 6 hearts on the brown paper using your pattern as a guide.

Beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Rub a bit between your fingers to feel that no sugar remains undissolved.

Spread meringue over the heart shapes, 1/4 inch thick. Make into the heart shape using a spoon to push and form into correct shape. Pipe rim 3/4 inch high with pastry tube or build a rim with a spoon.

Bake in preheated 275-degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringues dry in oven for 1 more hour. DO NOT open oven door during this time.

Store meringue shells in a dry place until ready to fill. Do not refrigerate.

Add the powdered sugar to the whipping cream and beat the cream until soft peaks form. Taste the cream for sweetness, you want a barely sweet whipped cream.

Mix in the strawberries, reserving a few for garnish.

Assemble:

When you are ready to serve, place a large scoop of the strawberry cream onto the meringue shell. Garnish with reserved strawberries and a little mint if desired.

More Valentines Day Recipes

Fresh Strawberries – Upside Down Strawberry Meringue Pie

Strawberry season is beginning here in Florida.  We had a bad cold snap, as did everyone, this year; but it seems that the majority of the strawberries managed ok. Soon you will see fresh Florida strawberries in your produce aisle. This recipe is an excellent light airy pie that uses those fresh strawberries to perfection.

This strawberry meringue pie is built with the meringue on the bottom and whipped cream on top, hence “upside-down”. The meringue and whipped cream together make this a light airy pie that is sumptuous in flavor and texture. This pie is best made with fresh strawberries, but frozen could be used with an alternate garnish.

Upside Down Strawberry Meringue Pie

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 9-inch pie shell, baked
• 3 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• Red food coloring
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1. Beat the egg whites, vinegar and salt to form soft peaks.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3. Slowly add 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla while beating. Beat to form stiff peaks.
4. Spread the meringue on the bottom and up the sides of the pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
5. Mash and sieve 2 cups of strawberries.
6. In a saucepan, mix 1/3 cup of sugar and cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup of water and the sieved strawberries.
7. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, approximately 2 minutes. Add a few drops of red food coloring.
8. Allow to cool slightly, then spread over the cooled meringue. Chill until set.
9. Top with whipped cream when ready to serve and garnish with the rest of the strawberries, sliced or fanned.