This is my all time favorite dessert. I blogged last year about the Grand Mariner cream https://dwellinginmiddleburg.com/2012/01/22/grand-marnier-sauce/ but I didn’t included a recipe for meringues. The Grand mariner cream uses 6 egg yolks, so you are left with 6 whites – all you add is sugar and vanilla to create the perfect base for berries and cream. I have tried many recipes for meringues and this one works the best.
6 egg whites at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a standing mixer with the whisk attachment
- Mix on medium high for about 1 minute
- Start adding the sugar in quarter cups while the mixer is going until it is all incorporated
- Add the vanilla
- Continue beating until the whites hold soft peaks
- On a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat (a silicone baking sheet) divide the whites into 12 mounds – I use two large serving spoon
- Use a chop stick to gently swirl each mound until they are somewhat uniform
- Bake for 1 hour
- Turn off the oven and do not open – leave to dry for several hours or overnight
- Remove from the oven and keep in a air tight container at room temperature until ready to use (best that day)
This is what soft peaks look like – when you pull the whisk out, it holds it’s shape
You can see the trails the chop stick makes – this is what they look like after baking then cooling in the oven several hours
