These Mini Meringues with Berries and Cream are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. The melt-in-the-mouth Meringue Nests are filled with whipped cream and topped with fresh berries. The sweet crunch of the meringue contrasts with the smooth whipped cream and the sweet tang of the berry. They are tantalisingly irresistible!
250ml(1 cup) heavy whipping/thickened creamSee Note 3
250g(9 oz) berries - I used strawberries and blueberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 120 Degrees C (250F).Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Separate the egg yolks and whites. Save the egg yolks for another use.Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a bowl and hand-held electric beaters. Beat on low speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, increasing the speed of the beaters. Beat constantly until the sugar dissolves, the mixture is thick and glossy and the meringue has stiff peaks. To check if the sugar has dissolved, rub a small amount of meringue between your thumb and a finger to check if it’s gritty or smooth. If it’s gritty, you will need to beat the mixture a little longer.
Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a ½ cm-1cm (¼ “- ½”) small star nozzle.Starting at the centre, pipe the meringue onto a prepared baking tray into small circles about 3 ½ cm (1 ½“) in diameter. Continue piping around the edge of the circle and build the meringues to 3 layers high, to form a nest shape. Leave some space between the meringues.
Bake for 50 minutes or until they feel crisp.Turn the oven off. Leave the meringues to cool in the oven.Once cool, store the meringues in an airtight container.
Whip the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. or use hand-held electric beaters and whip until the cream has firm peaks and it is strong enough to hold its shape.
When you're ready to serve, spoon some cream into each meringue case.Decorate with the berries or fruit of your choice.
Video
Notes
Egg whites: ensure your egg whites are at room temperature - this will help them whip up faster and gain extra volume.
Sugar: gradually adding the sugar ensures that you do not destroy the aeration of the whites that you have achieved through whisking, keeping them light and fluffy.
Cream: heavy whipping/thickened cream contains 35% milk fat.
Meringues: I made small meringue nests - if you prefer to make them larger, use a larger piping nozzle. It is not necessary to pipe the meringue. Just spoon the meringue onto a baking tray. Use a teaspoon to make an indent in the centre.
Humidity: avoid baking the Mini Meringues on a humid day. In very humid conditions you are likely to find it difficult to successfully bake a meringue as the baked meringues may weep and become soft.