Date: Fri 12-Feb-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

meringues-Valentine's

Full Text:

Meringues: Melt-In-Your-Mouth Valentine Treats

(with cuts)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

It has long been said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

That applies equally to women, especially if the man she loves is doing the

cooking.

For those who like to cook, there are a lot of new cookbooks that would be

great for Valentine's Day, either to use in the kitchen or to give as a gift.

Many are dessert cookbooks, which are especially appropriate. Perhaps more

than any other holiday, Valentine's Day brings to mind sweets, a fabulous

chocolate dessert, perhaps, or a fruit-topped meringue.

According to Barbara Maher in Ultimate Cake (DK Publishing, 1998, softcover,

$13.95), a pastry chef named Gasparini, who lived in Meiringen, Switzerland,

is reputed to have created a concoction of beaten egg whites and sugar in the

1720s. Dubbed "Meiringerli," these exceptionally light confections remain a

specialty of the Oberland region in Switzerland but now are popular

everywhere.

Egg whites, the simplest of ingredients, are beat with sugar, shaped, and

baked very gently until dry and crisp. The resulting confection melts in the

mouth to a delicious sugary nothingness. It complements all the finest creams,

fruit and fillings, and blends delectably with nuts.

Meringues, best made in winter when the weather is dry, keep well, so if you

have a few on hand you can produce an impressive dessert in a matter of

minutes

A simple meringue can be made by whisking egg whites in a large clean bowl

until frothy, then adding a pinch of cream of tartar or a little lemon juice

and continue to whisk quickly until the whites form stiff peaks. Gradually add

sugar, beating until the mixture is stiff and glossy.

For individual meringues, scoop out large spoonfuls of the meringue mixture

and plop them onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Or

put the meringue into a pastry bag with a plain or star nozzle and pipe mounds

onto the sheet. For a cake, spread or pipe the meringue onto the sheet within

a circle made by using an eight-inch round cake pan as a pattern.

Meringues are baked in a very slow oven, 200§ to 275§, until crisp and dry.

After cooling completely, they can be used immediately, or stored in an

air-tight container for future use.

Now that berries are available in most supermarkets year-round, a spectacular

dessert like Summer Berry Vacherin can easily be made for Valentine's Day.

Layers of meringue are filled with whipped cream to which crushed raspberries

and Grand Marnier have been added. The top is decorated with fresh berries and

sliced kiwi.

Anna Pavlova was the famous Russian ballerina for whom "The Dying Swan" was

created. Her name is now synonymous with a fruit-topped meringue reputed to

have been created in Australia in her honor.

Nectarine Pavlova features nectarines, peaches and cherries piled on a filling

of whipped cream to which Grand Marnier has been added. As a variation, make a

Tropical Fruit Pavlova by using mixed fresh tropical fruits such as pineapple,

kiwi, banana, papaya and mango.

Ultimate Cakes also suggests Mocha Franche -- a layer cake made with crisp

rectangular layers of chocolate meringue sandwiched together with

coffee-liqueur-flavored cream and decorated with piped meringue batons.

Japonais is a classic French pastry that consists of meringue disks that

contain lightly toasted, crunchy hazelnuts, sandwiched with luxurious

chocolate ganache. Torta di Pignoli is made with lightly toasted pine nuts

which give flavor and crunch to the meringue layers.

Mocha Tranche, with its flavored meringue and softly whipped cream, melts in

the mouth, leaving the lingering warmth of chocolate and coffee.

Gourmet's Sweets (Conde Nast Publications/Random House, 1998, hardcover,

$27.50) features a recipe for Valentine Meringue Hearts that uses light brown

sugar instead of white sugar, plus a little vanilla. The meringues are piped

into heart shapes, baked, filled with slightly softened ice cream, and served

with dark chocolate sauce and/or raspberry sauce. The ice cream-filled

meringues, without the sauce, can be frozen for up to three days.

Gourmet's Sweets includes 200 recipes and two dessert parties -- a Champagne

Dessert Party and a Garden Dessert Party -- plus 75 color photographs

illustrating the finished desserts.

In Julia's Delicious Dinners (Alfred A. Knopf, 1998, hardcover, $18), Julia

Child demonstrates how to make individual meringue cases which can be filled

with fruits, sherbets, a Bavarian cream or ice cream, and sauced to suit your

fancy. These Petits Vacherins are good to make this time of year because

kitchens normally are quite dry; damp weather collapses meringues.

The French Culinary Institute's Salute to Healthy Cooking (Rodale Press, 1998,

hardcover, $30) features recipe from four of America's most famous French

Chefs: Jacques Pepin, Alain Sailhac, Andre Soltner and Jacques Torres. A

spring menu suitable for Valentine's Day features a salad of watercress,

chicory and radishes with beet vinaigrette; wine-steamed salmon, and meringue

shells with marinated strawberries ( Fraises Marinees dans les Puits d'Amour)

. Or serve this dessert with baby artichokes in vegetable broth and poached

lobster with saffron sabayon.

Both the meringues and the strawberries can be made in advance, so this is a

good nonfat dessert for any special occasion. The strawberries are marinated

in port, orange juice and orange zest.

Nathalie Dupree, in Comfortable Entertaining: At Home with Ease and Grace

(Viking, 1998, hardcover, $29.95) suggests Italian Meringue Kisses as part of

a winter hors d'oeuvres menu. This recipe is slightly different in that a

sugar syrup is made first, then beat with the egg whites. The mixture can be

made into kisses of all sizes, into rounds, or into baskets and cooked

according to size. They are supposed to be white, but pale brown also is

acceptable, according to Ms Dupree.

The book also includes an all-dessert buffet that features a chocolate

station, a fruit station, a cookie station, and a selection of rustic

desserts.

A Simple Meringue

2 egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

« cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 250§ F.

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk or beat with an electric mixer

until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until the whites form soft peaks.

Gradually add one-half cup of sugar and beat on high speed until the whites

are glossy and stiff.

For individual meringues, scoop out 10 large spoonfuls of the meringue mixture

and plop them, an inch apart, on a non-stick baking sheet or one that has been

lined with parchment paper. Or spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with

a plain, fluted, or star tip and pipe three-inch diameter circles.

For cake-size disks, mark an 8«-inch circle on parchment paper. Spoon the

mixture into the circle and spread out within the marked lines to a thickness

of about ‹-inch. Or use a pastry bag as above. If desired, sprinkle with a

little granulated sugar, sliced almonds, pistachio nuts or chopped, toasted

hazelnuts.

Bake in the preheated oven until crisp and dry. The time will depend on the

size of the meringue. Allow about an hour for individual meringues, 1« to 2

hours. When the meringues are cooked, turn off the oven and leave the

meringues inside until completely cold. Lift off the parchment paper or

non-stick pan. Store in an air-tight container, or fill with whipped cream and

top with sliced fresh strawberries.