An impressive dessert that is truly so simple to make, my Individual Strawberry Meringues are perfect for your next dinner party or catch up with friends and family.
Preheat oven to 120 Degrees C (250F).Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Separate three eggs. 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, about 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, try beating for a little longer.
Spoon the meringue mixture onto the prepared tray in six mounds.
Using the back of a spoon, smooth the mixture out, leaving a little indent in the middle of the nest.
Bake for 45 minutes or until crisp.Turn the oven off. Leave the meringues to cool in the oven.Once cool, store the meringues in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.
Whip the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.Or, use hand-held electric beaters, whip until the cream has soft peaks.
Top the meringues with the cream and strawberry sauce. Garnish with a sprig of mint for extra colour.
To make the Strawberry Sauce:
Roughly chop the strawberries.
Add the strawberries to a saucepan, along with the brown sugar, lemon juice and orange liqueur.
Cook on a low heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally. The strawberries should be soft, but still retaining their shape.
Notes
Ensure your egg whites are at room temperature.
Caster Sugar is also known as Superfine Sugar. It dissolves easier than regular sugar.
The Australian tablespoon is 20ml or 4 teaspoons. In most other countries the tablespoon is 15ml or 3 teaspoons.
Australian whipping/thickened creams contain 35% milk fat. Do not over-whip the cream or you will end up with butter.
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.
I have not added sugar to the cream as I feel the meringues and sauce are sufficiently sweet.