Meringue and photo by Anita, Premium Member © Sarah Phillips
Anita, Premium Member, Says: “Hello to all the CraftyBaking (formerly Baking911) readers, and I hope you are having a Happy New Year! I’ve got many inspirations keeping me in the kitchen, not the least of which is thinking up new desserts for all the different holidays – it’s always nice to come up with a new slant on a traditional dessert, or imagine something entirely different.
As an alternative to all the rich chocolatey desserts associated with Valentine’s Day, I’m offering a light, dreamy, and equally romantic creation – rosewater meringues filled with fragrant roasted strawberries. The meringues are flavored with rosewater and rose syrup, their delicate floralness an ethereal counterpart to the intensely fruity, sweet strawberries. If you haven’t used rose syrup before, it’s a popular treat in India and the Middle East. A deep pink, gorgeously scented syrup, it is often stirred into milk with ice to make a refreshing take on a milkshake. Rose syrup can be found in many Indian groceries; if you can’t find any, using just rosewater will work fine.
See Sarah's excellent page on Eggs – Beating Techniques for Meringue for some great tips and techniques. One of the more intimidating parts of making meringues is whipping up the egg whites.
SARAH SAYS: You can start beating egg whites cold from the refrigerator; they will take a little longer to beat, but they will get as much volume as room temperature ones – the mixer blades will warm the whites as they beat
Although this recipe calls for piping heart shapes, you can make any forms you like, making this a wonderfully versatile recipe. You can also fill the meringue baskets with fresh fruit or pastry cream or whatever suits your fancy. Another elegant touch is to drizzle melted chocolate over the top — see, you can get your chocolate fix with this dessert as well!
I hope you all have a sweet Valentine's Day!”
CAKE RECIPE HELP
ROASTED STRAWBERRIES
INGREDIENTS
About 2 cups strawberries
1/3- 1/2 cup sugar to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries into halves. Arrange them in a layer in a heavy baking dish.
Sprinkle with the sugar. You may want to use more or less depending on how sweet the strawberries are.
Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes until the strawberries are softened and the sugar has melted into a soft syrup.
Take the strawberries out and let them sit on a wire rack while you make the meringues.
ROSEWATER MERINGUES
INGREDIENTS
5 egg large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons rosewater
1 1/4 teaspoons rose syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Whisk egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt together in a stand mixer with whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy.
While the egg whites are being whipped, combine sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl.
When the egg whites have formed soft peaks, start pouring in the sugar in a slow, steady stream.
When all the sugar is incorporated, increase mixer speed to high and whisk until the peaks are stiff and glossy.
Add in the rosewater and rose syrup and whisk just to combine and the meringue turns soft pink.
Immediately scrape the meringue into a clean, grease-free pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a heart shaped border on the baking sheet, and fill in with meringue. Pipe a second heart border on top, leaving the center unfilled. This will form a basket for the roasted strawberries.
Bake meringues in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp. They should not turn brown or crack.
When they are done, take them out and let them cool on wire racks for at least 20 minutes before filling. If it is a humid day, leave them in the turned-off oven while they are cooling.
ASSEMBLY / SERVE
Meringue and photo by Anita, Premium Member © Sarah Phillips
When the meringues have cooled, place a few strawberries in the center of each meringue and serve immediately.
