Hazelnut Meringue Puffs with Fresh Fruit & Cream
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Who doesn’t love light, fresh, hazelnut-spiked meringue cookies layered with fruit and fresh whipped cream? (If you don’t, then click here to read about a decadent chocolate dessert instead, without fruit of any kind. Goodbye.)
Back to the meringue. Made without an ounce of fat (really… except for the little whipped cream layer), and relatively easy to make (easy but time consuming: full disclaimer), they reek of spring or summer- even when it’s a bleak wintery day. (Whipped cream and fruit makes everything seem like spring. It’s a fact.)
Back to the meringue, again. I have made this as a full-fledged cake (usually remembering to remove the parchment circles under the meringue layers before assembling, except for that one time in 2007), and as individual servings as pictured. So in addition to being not-altogether-unhealthy, and easy-ish to make, it’s a versatile dessert. Why don’t I make these more often?
Adapted from Chatelaine magazine’s recipe… Makes one triple-decker cake or about a million small puffs. Make half the recipe if you are baking the puffs… just a suggestion.
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 egg whites (room temperature)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon real vanilla (or Frangelico hazelnut liqueur)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced hazelnuts (roughly a 100 g package)- lightly toasted
2 cups (500 ml container) heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
3 – 4 cups fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.)
- Preheat oven to 275°, and arange racks in top and bottom third of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (if making a cake, trace three 8-inch circles onto parchment and flip over).
- In a small bowl, stir 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch together and set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1 cup of sugar until thick glossy peaks form when beater is lifted (4 – 5 minutes). Gradually beat in sugar/cornstarch mixture, vinegar, vanilla (or Frangelico) and salt. Gently fold in nuts with a spatula. Meringue will be thick and shiny.
- Fill a piping bag (or a large Ziploc with a corner cut off) with meringue and pipe onto parchment paper (or scoop about 2 tablespoons of meringue onto parchment paper); flatten half of the meringues slightly to act as the bottom base for your cream & fruit. If making the cake version, spread meringue out in three equal amounts over traced circles- spreading evenly to edges of circles as your guide, and smoothing out the tops.
- Place meringues in oven and reduce temperature to 225°. Bake puffs for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, and cake layers for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (until crisp and dry, but not brown), rotating baking sheets halfway through. Turn oven off and leave meringues inside to further dry out for 30 minutes. Cool on baking sheets after removing from oven.
- Assembly: whip cream with confectioners’ sugar until peaks form, and spread over the slightly flattened puffs. Scatter fruit over top of whipped cream, and place another puff overtop (adding another dollop of whipped cream overtop the fruit if the top puff appears to need “glue” to stay in place). Add whipped cream on top of puffs if you choose. (For cake, spread 1/3 of cream over one meringue cake base layer, and sprinkle 1/3 of fruit over cream. Stack second meringue overtop fruit, and spread half of remaining cream overtop. Sprinkle half of remaining fruit over cream. Place last meringue on cake, and spread remaining cream then fruit over top.
Tips:
- Nut variations: so may choices! Lightly toast any kind of nut (almond, pistachio, pecan, etc.) and use instead of the hazelnut. Go ahead and use a flavored extract (a natural one, not artificial) or a flavored liqueur that matches your nut (so… use a tablespoon of Amaretto if using almond… Frangelico if using hazelnut… you get the idea). This recipe is pretty subtle with the nuts, so add more if you’d like.
Toasting the nuts: spread onto a baking sheet and place in oven while it’s preheating- since 275° is such a low temperature, set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them. You want them just starting to turn golden brown. Not charred, like these pecans.- Beating egg whites is a science- but don’t let it daunt you. *make sure your eggs are at room temperature… *be careful not to let any yolk mix with the whites (evil, fatty yolk!)… *be careful not to overbeat your whites before adding the sugar in (you want soft peaks, not foam)… *make sure your beaters and bowl are totally clean… they say that any remnants of oil will prevent egg whites from beating well
- The baking time is essential for meringues. After you think the meringues are fully baked, take one out of the oven to see. Let it cool a bit, then break it open. If it’s still a bit chewy inside, bake a tad longer. (Admission: I like meringues that are a bit chewy- so you can bake until totally dry or keep a bit chewy. If you DO keep them softer, please know that it will be a challenge to cut cake slices.)
- Creative options… meringues can be played with, so take this in a different direction by folding in mini chocolate chips (in lieu of or in addition to the nuts), or those little Heath toffee bits (I have done this and was uber-happy with myself— I added in about 1 1/2 cups instead of the nuts), or coconut, or crushed candy canes… the sky is the limit. (Last thought- how about spreading Nutella [that’s hazelnut & chocolate, in case you have lived in a small village without electricity and other essentials all of your life] on the base of the puff or cake, then adding the whipped cream? I’d skip the fruit for that version, but it would be your call.)
- Want to get fancy? Sure thing, Martha. Add a star tip to your piping bag, and squeeze out perfect little shapes (the nuts might get in the way of the smoothness you are looking for- FYI).
- Beating the whipping cream is also key (promise you’ll use real whipping cream- especially for this recipe)- be careful not to over beat to the point where it gets clumpy. (If you keep beating long enough it will turn into butter.) When making these puffs or cake, you have to say “whipping cream” like Stewie does on Family Guy, by the way. (Emphasis on the “h”.)
- Eat, don’t delay. After you’ve assembled the cake or puffs with whipped cream, you’ll need to eat within a couple of days (unless you like soggy meringues). You can store the bare-bones puffs (or cake layers) in a totally airtight container for up to 2 days before assembling.
- Want less fat in your life? Serve these puffs with macerated fruit and skip the whipped cream. (Take your strawberries, for example, and sprinkle sugar overtop and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours. Let them get juicy and smash some with a fork if necessary.)
- Want this a bit sweeter? I hear you. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the puffs or cake before serving.
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