Red Rover, Red Rover...

Let Pavlova come over! Our second attempt at a meringue went much better (and for some reason I had that chant stuck in my head the whole time). According to Bon Appétit a Pavlova is a "big meringue topped with lots of stuff" but has a more moist center than a normal meringue (more marshmallowy) and it was named after Anna Pavlova, a russian ballet dancer. It was created in Australia or New Zealand (a point of much contention) when she was on tour.  Regardless of the history it was delicious!
The original recipe called for orange-flower water which I did not have (shocker, I know) but I read online that almond is often a good replacement so whenever the recipe called for orange-flower water we used almond extract. All three taste testers agreed that the almond flavoring complemented the dish much better than orange would have.
Other ramblings: I think this might be better than strawberry shortcake. Blasphemy I know. I'm just not a huge fan of shortcake in strawberry shortcake. I love strawberries and whipped cream but throw in the shortcake and I'm not crazy about it unless it's some topnotch shortcake. And as far as I can tell, coulis is just a fancy word for fruit puree.

Strawberry-Almond Pavlovas

(Bon Appétit) 

Ingredients:
Meringues:
2 large egg whites, room temperature
8 tablespoons sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Strawberry Coulis:
1 12-ounce basket strawberries, hulled, quartered (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Strawberries and Whipped Cream:
1 12-ounce basket fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Meringues:
1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 275°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using cookie cutter or glass as aid, trace six 2 1/2-inch circles on parchment, spacing 2 to 3 inches apart; turn parchment over.
2. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks begin to form. With mixer running, gradually add 6 tablespoons sugar.
3. Whisk 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in small bowl. With mixer running, gradually beat sugar-cornstarch mixture into meringue. Continue beating meringue until stiff glossy peaks form.
4. Beat in vinegar and almond extract. Divide meringue among parchment paper circles, spreading to fill completely (meringues will be about 1 1/2 inches high). Using back of spoon, form slight depression in center of each meringue.
5. Bake meringues until beige and dry to touch, about 20 minutes. Turn off oven and prop door open slightly with wooden spoon. Let meringues cool in oven until completely dry, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Coulis:
1. Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth. Cover and chill.
Strawberries and Whipped Cream:
1. Mix strawberries, 1 tablespoon sugar, and almond extract in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature until sugar dissolves and juices form, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
2. Using electric mixer, beat chilled cream, vanilla, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar in another medium bowl until soft peaks form.
Assembly:
Spoon small dollop of whipped cream in center of each plate. Place 1 meringue atop whipped cream on each plate, pressing lightly to anchor meringue. Spoon generous dollop of whipped cream in center of each meringue. Spoon coulis around meringues; top with sliced strawberry mixture

Meringue Me!

Oh Meringue...my new arch-nemisis! This morning Amanda and I attempted to make Pecan-Mocha Meringue Cookies. Attempted. The look on my face says it all:

"Oh you sassy meringue, you!"

It started off really well. We had a wonderful, glossy and stiff peaking meringue base. And then it happened. We switched to a spatula to gently fold in the finely chopped nuts and chocolate chips (as per the instructions from a Food Network show). Our meringue lost all of it's air and became soupy. We started placing them on the baking sheet, realized it would be pointless and then just threw it all on there in an attempt to get something out of it. Which we did! They still tasted good, a nice balance of chocolate/pecan/espresso but the texture was sorely (and obviously) lacking. No nice fluffy meringues for us.

Quick! Find the fake meringue!

Pecan-Mocha Meringues

(Bon Appétit)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup egg whites (from about 3 large eggs)
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)
18 (about) untoasted pecan halves
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Press brown sugar and cocoa powder through sieve into small bowl to remove any lumps; whisk to blend. 

3. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites, coarse salt, and cream of tartar in medium bowl until very soft peaks begin to form. 

4. With mixer running, gradually add sugar, then espresso powder; beat until medium peaks form. 

5. Beat in brown sugar mixture by tablespoonfuls. Continue beating until meringue is very stiff and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. 

6. The step of DOOM! Fold in chopped pecans and chocolate chips, if desired. 

7. Drop mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Place 1 pecan half atop each meringue, pressing very lightly to adhere.
8. Bake meringues until dry but still slightly soft when pressed with finger, about 25 minutes. Turn off oven. Cool meringues in oven with door closed until crisp, about 1 1/2 hours

So sad.