Rainbow Rose Meringue Cookies

Hello friends!  Just me again, making some more wildly delicious and fun stuff!  Ok, well in my opinion it is ALL that!!  Just more like finding excuses to make meringues.  Any excuse will do, I love them!

These are so easy.  Have you heard all those old wives tales about when to make meringues and when not too?  Never on a humid or rainy day?  It might be true, I am just saying, I made mine on a humid rainy day and they turned out perfectly.  I am not saying the old wives are wrong, I am just saying, they were wrong about my superhuman abilities, that's all. 

These will brighten up anyone's day, so make them, and share them with someone who needs some cheer!  Or let's be real, keep them for yourself because you know since they are mostly air, they have no calories.  I mean that is what I heard, so I am just sayin......R

PS.  Don't throw those yolks away kids, use them, for some pastry cream or homemade egg noodles!

3 egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
red, blue and yellow food colors
pastry bag
Wilton 1M tip

In a very CLEAN metal or glass bowl, being to whip your egg whites.  Wipe them until they become foamy.  No peaks yet, just good and foamy.  Add in your granulated sugar and cream of tartar and whip until you have soft peaks.  Add in vanilla and continue to whip your egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. 

In 3 bowls, divide your meringue evenly.  Color on red, one blue and one yellow.  Or, use any colors you like!  Carefully fold in the coloring so you don't lose all the fluffy air in the whites.

Now using a 1m tip and a large pastry bag or Ziploc bag, cut off the corner and insert tip.  Roll the bag clear down and add one spoonful of each color at a time, then move up the cuff and add more.  This will give you more rainbow, and less of one color blob at a time.  Get it?  Yes, I said color "blob". 

Now with your baking sheets lined with either parchment or silicone mates, pipe out a rose shape.  Working in circles from the center out.  I yielded about 16 cookies, but it depends on the size of roses you make and you can do other shapes as well. 

Bake at 195 degrees F for 1 hr. 30 minutes.  Rotate the pans half way through.  When the time is up, turn the oven off and crack the door open.  Let cool to room temperature. 

ENJOY!



 



Adapted from CherryLanesCupcakes

Orange Swirl Meringues

Meringues.  I swear, I love these things.  I don't care if they are in the form of cookies, pavlova, top of a pie, it makes NO difference.  I love the crispy outside and perfect marshmallow-ee inside.  Makes me happy for sure!

 

This recipe has been sitting in a magazine on the coffee table for a good year now.   Yes, dead serious.  There is a small pile of magazines sitting there for random reading and this recipe was in one of them.  So 6 months ago I took a huge step, and ripped the recipe out and threw the magazine away.  Definite big girl panty move, eh?  Another 6 months and I actually make the recipe.  Pathetic.  I know.  Doesn't matter, it is amazing.   This could easily be changed out with say....lime or lemon zest, and the color green or yellow to match.  I think a combo of all 3 on a huge plate would be SO cool.   So get your piping bag, and work this out.  They are easy and fun.  You will love them!

Don't sweat the small stuff, the painting of the food coloring is easy, and really you could color the entire batter if you like and avoid that whole drama all together!  Use any tip you like, I used no tip and just cut the tip of my bag off at a place I thought would create a nice size cookie.  I love when you have choices, when things aren't so meticulous, my gosh, I would be a hot mess.  NO comments! HA!

Btw, I am SO savvy, I managed to use those egg yolks I had leftover in another recipe today.  I know, I KNOW.  Are you that cool??  Don't throw them away, find a good use, you paid for them, USE THEM!!

Here is what you will need:
3 large egg whites, at room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
orange food coloring (gel)
piping bag

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  In a heatproof bowl, add eggs whites, sugar and salt.  Place over a pot of simmering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the pot of water when it feel smooth between your fingers.  Add in vanilla and cream of tartar and combine with your whisk until completely incorporated.

Pour mixture into your stand mixer bowl OR, keep in the current bowl.  You will need to beat this mixture until the whites are at the stiff peak stage.  You should be able to turn your beater or whisk attachment upside down the egg whites will remain standing up.  This could take 7-9 minutes.  So get on with your bad self and get to beating! HA!  When you get to stiff peaks, add in orange zest and just beat long enough to incorporate it. 

While this is happening take a paint brush and paint 1-3 lines INSIDE of your piping bag.  From the very bottom to the top.   It is helpful to put your bag inside of a tall drinking glass, fold the top over the edges and fill.  Regardless of how you do it, just get it done the best you can, there is no harm in not getting things exact. 

Pipe in a small circle and build up as you can see in the photo.  Really you can pipe them how you want, but if you want the swirl look do it in circles instead of one plop, so to speak.  Your cookies will have strong color the first few, as you can see in my photo, which made absolutely no difference to me, so just go with it.

When you have them all piped, put into the oven for 1hr 15 minutes.  Then, shut the oven off and let sit another 15 with the door opened slightly.  Remove and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

These were fun to make, I am a sucker for a meringue, all day, errr day!

 

Your "never can resist ORANGE food" Chefwannabe

Pavlova

Is it Australian or is it from New Zealand?  The debate goes on.  They both claim it originated in their country, so whoever did it is genius!!  Pavlova is named after the famous Russian ballet dance, Anna Pavlova.  The dish is said to have been created in honor of the dancer after or during one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand.   This dessert is popularly served on holidays and celebrations.  It is a meringue based dessert and is easily changed up to meet your taste. 

 

Since I made this the first time, it was a hit.  The mix of textures is like a party for your palette.  It is a sweet meringue cake, slightly sweetened whipping cream and fruit on top. Lets not delay this any longer, I can't stand the anticipation of sharing!  


Pavlova

4 egg whites

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Crumple up a piece of parchment paper and then uncrumple, dust with a bit of cornstarch and place on pan large enough to draw or eyeball a 9 inch circle or the size it should be.  



My bowl is being held upside down!

Beat egg whites adding in granulated sugar 1 tbsp at a time.  Beat until you get stiff peaks.  Add in cornstarch and vanilla.  You will know they are ready when you can turn the bowl upside down and the egg whites will not fall out.  See I have a photo of mine, upside down!  Spread on parchment paper to form approx 9 inch "cake".  Make sure all sides are even.  Bake 1 hour.  Remove and let cool completely.

Before

Here you can see before it was baked and after!

After                                 

For the topping you will need:
2 cups whipping cream
1 pint berries of your choice or kiwi fruit (or both!)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Clean fruit, slice berries if you are using them.  Use a large bowl and pour in COLD whipping cream and powdered sugar.  Beat until your whipping cream is a nice stiff peaks but don't go to far or you will have butter!  Carefully spread on top of pavlova and top with fruit.

HELPFUL HINT:  When you are beating fresh whipping cream it is helpful to have everything very cold, put your beaters, whisk attachment or whisk in the freezer with the bowl you will be using for 15-30 minutes before using.  Cream should be very cold as well.  It will make it whip up MUCH faster.  

I hope you enjoy your possibly first pavlova experience.  It is not one you are soon to forget!  Pick your own favorite berry or combination of berries or kiwi. *Kiwi are traditional*.