GLUTEN-FREE CRANBERRY MERINGUES WITH CRÈME CHANTILLY
We don’t think we’ve met anyone who doesn’t love a pavlova, that gorgeous meringue affair topped with whipped cream and fruit. In Australia it is often served in all its glory on the Christmas dessert table. And the servings are usually huge!
For the purists, the fruit of choice to top a pavlova is strawberries and passionfruit but all sorts of fresh, often tropical, fruit are used these days.
So with pavlova, fruit and Christmas in mind, we’re offering our cocktail party friends a delicate mouthful of meringue dotted with Christmas-y cranberries and served with a big bowl of Crème Chantilly for dipping or dolloping.
Rosie
MINI CRANBERRY MERINGUES WITH CRÈME CHANTILLY
Makes 50-60 depending on size
100 gm craisins (soft sweet dried cranberries)
70 gm pure icing sugar, sifted
70 gm egg whites (about 2) at warm room temperature
Pinch cream of tartar
70 gm caster sugar
Gluten-free red food colouring, optional
Preheat oven to 100°C. Line 2 -3 baking trays with baking paper. Have at the ready a large piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm piping nozzle, if using.
Toss the craisins and 2 tablespoons of the icing sugar together on a chopping board.
Chop the craisins as finely as you can, tossing the icing sugar through regularly in order to prevent the craisins from sticking together while chopping. Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium for a further 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high until medium peaks form.
Gradually add the caster sugar and continue whisking for a further 2-3 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.
Fold in the remaining icing sugar with a spatula. Fold in the chopped craisin/icing sugar mixture.
Transfer to the prepared piping bag and pipe small (2-3cm wide) meringues onto the prepared tray. If you don’t have a piping bag, simply spoon the mixture onto the prepared tray using a teaspoon.
We’ve sprayed our meringues with red food colouring for a festive touch. It is entirely optional but if you’d like to replicate it, simply place some red food colouring and a little water in a small spray bottle (we bought ours from the travel section of the chemist) and gently mist the meringues before you put them in the oven.
Bake for 1 hour or until the meringues lift easily from the baking paper. The timing will depend on the size of your meringues. Allow to cool on the tray before transferring to an airtight container.
Meringues will keep for several weeks if stored properly.
Serve the meringues piled high onto a big bowl accompanied by another big bowl piled high with Crème Chantilly (see below). Allow your guests to take a meringue in their fingers and swipe it through the bowl of cream before popping it holus bolus into their mouths.
And we’ve found that for the maximum dollop of cream on your meringue, swipe the pointy end through the cream.
CRÈME CHANTILLY
300 ml thickened cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar extra
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whip all ingredients together until firmly whipped.