No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Crunchy Meringues with Fresh Berries
- One Recipe *Easy Meringues
- 1 Cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 1 TB Lemon Zest
- 1 Cup Assorted Berries or Sliced/Chopped Fresh Fruit
Whisk the yogurt and lemon zest together, top the meringues with about 1 TB and sprinkle on the berries.
*Easy Meringues
- 3 Large Egg Whites
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Tsp White Vinegar
Step One
Preheat the oven 225F. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk. Whip until stiff peaks appear and and meringue does not slide out when bowl is turned upside, (or beat until very stiff with a hand mixer.) Gradually add in sugar and then vanilla and vinegar. Increase speed to high and whip until mixture is smooth and holds stiff and glossy peaks.
Step Two
Use a spoon and put a dollop of meringue about an inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Or make them fancier by using a pastry bag and piping small meringues. Bake meringues for about 90 – 110 minutes or until they easily peel away from parchment paper and are firm. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for a few days with parchment between layers.
No. 2 : Kitchen Smidgen
The easiest way to tell if the batter is smooth is to pick up a pinch out of the bowl and rub it between two fingers, if it feels gritty, its needs to be whipped longer.
No. 3 : Get Creative
Its so much fun to transform these meringues into different flavors! Make them chocolate with the addition of 1 TB of cocoa powder; add ½ Cup dark chocolate pieces to make them even more decadent. Add lemon zest and a couple of drops of lemon extract to make them a citrus dream. Add ¼ tsp almond extract and ½ cup of toasted sliced almonds to make them nutty. You’ve got the idea, go for it!
No. 4 : Wine FIND of the Week
Chateau Ste Michelle Late Harvest Riesling
Columbia Valley Washington
Kroger, Public around $12.00
Chateau Ste Michelle’s advertising calls this wine a fruit bowl in a bottle – and after a sip – you’ll agree. Sweet but not cloying this wines BIG fruit flavor is the perfect pair with the sweet crunchy meringues. Riesling, originally from Germany loves the warm sunny days and cool evening temperatures of the Columbia Valley in Washington, creating Rieslings with intense aromas and big flavor. This is a perfect wine to drink with sweet and fruity desserts, and an excellent price for the quality, too!