Seasons > Valentine’s Day > Ways to celebrate valentine’s day with the family> Special foods for Valentine’s Day
Meringue Shells--an indulgent and guilt-free dessert (depending on what you pile on top!) The traditional way is to pile vanilla ice cream onto the crispy shells, and top with fresh strawberries, but make it with sorbet for a fat-free version. They are quite versatile, and you can make them in all kinds of flavors and colors, so it is easy to make them the star of Valentine’s Day, while at the same time, adapting them to fit each person’s favorite flavor. You only use 3 ingredients, so it isn’t hard to make, but you do have to plan ahead because it takes several hours to bake.
Pavlovas are made just like meringue shells, but they are not baked as long, so they are soft and foamy--like eating a cloud!Surprisingly, they can be frozen incase you want to make them ahead, or save any peices that don’t get eaten!
The typical topping is whipped cream and fruit, such as strawberries and/ or kiwifruit, but coffee flavored whipped cream and chocolate syrup is really delicious, too!!
If you are lucky enough to live in New Zealand, you can buy meringue shells and pavlova in the supermarkets.
NOTE: The important thing about both meringue shells and pavlovas is that they must remain dry--if you live in a humid climate, plan on eating them right away, or keep them in an airtight container, because the humidity in the air can quickly turn them into a gooey mess!
Trifles are typically made by layering cake or lady fingers with pudding (custard) and strawberries, like a giant parfait. You can substitute pieces of meringue shell or pavlova for the cake as a great way to finish off broken bits or uneaten portions. You can get creative and add bits of broken cookies or candy to make all kinds of fabulous flavors. If you have a crowd to feed, make it in a clear bowl so you can see all the pretty layers. Otherwise, make single servings in clear glasses or dessert cups. Refrigerate to let the flavors blend before eating.
Meringue Shell Filling options:
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1.Traditional: fill with ice cream and top with fresh sliced strawberries (my personal favorite),
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2.Home made sorbet filling ( sorbet is milkless sherbert) : grind up frozen fruit in your food processor then add a tablespoon of water or fruit juice, and it will have the consistency of soft serve ice cream--add sugar or a banana if the fruit is tart. This is a fat-free dessert that is also great for people with milk or wheat allergies.
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3.Ice cream with strawberry sauce filling: If you are more worried about the price of strawberries in February than the fat content in ice cream, you can use frozen strawberries cooked down with some sugar and cornstarch to make a delicious strawberry sauce to pour over the ice cream.
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4.Coffee and chocolate flavored: Stack layers of meringue shells with coffee flavored whipped cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. Decorate the top with sliced almonds and chocolate sprinkles. Cover and refrigerate overnight to soften.
10 Meringue Cookie Options
You can make meringue shells with no filling at all, as low fat cookies--they are delicious!
1. Flavor with cocoa, (optional: add mini chocolate chips. )
1. Substitute vanilla extract with mint (optional: add mini chocolate chips. )
2. Substitute some of the sugar with brown sugar or molasses for a caramel flavor
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3.Add a teaspoon of instant coffee granules diluted with a half teaspoon of water for coffee flavored cookies.
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4.Add both cocoa and coffee for a mocha flavor.
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5.Fold in any flavor of chips or nuts or bits of candy such as left over candy canes or toffee bars.
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6.Sprinkle in a pinch of cinnamon, and/or ground ginger and cloves for a spicy version.
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7. Form the meringue into logs, and after baking, dip the ends in chocolate, then dip in nuts or toasted coconut.
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8.Put 2 baked cookies together with icing or jam.
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9.Mix coconut into the meringue, and only bake till they are soft, and you have made macaroons.
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10.Pipe any flavor of meringue into heart shapes to make it a valentine dessert.
Whip egg whites until they are frothy, then start adding sugar one Tablespoon at a time until all the sugar has been incorporated and stiff glossy peaks remain when you lift the beaters. (When you rub a bit between 2 fingers, it should not feel gritty.) Plan on one egg white and 4T. sugar, 1/4 t. vanilla for every 2 people--one egg for 2 people, or 4 eggs and 16 T. sugar for 8 people. If you want the meringue shells to be pink, add a little bit of red food coloring.
The traditional way is to bake the meringue on brown paper bags spread on a cookie sheet, but tinfoil works just as well. Use a spoon to shape the egg whites into heart shapes. If you want it to be especially fancy, you can put the meringue into a zip-lock freezer bag, cut off one corner, and pipe the meringue icing into a heart shape the same way you would frost a cake. For a pavlova, mound the meringue in a cake size, or fill an 8 or 9 inch pan lined with brown paper.
Bake in the oven on a low heat (200 degrees fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius) for 2 hours. To make sure they are crisp, leave them in the unopened oven for another 2 hours. Let completely cool, and peel them off the tinfoil or brown paper. If they stick, run cold water on the back of the paper or tinfoil, and they will peel right off. For pavlova, bake 1 1/2 hours, and leave in the oven one more hour.
NOTE: If the tiniest bit of egg yolk gets into the egg white, it will not whip. So if you accidentally get some yolk in with the white, set aside those egg whites and yolks for another use, and wash the bowls and beaters and start over. For this reason, I like to break each egg over a small bowl before I separate the yolk from the white so that if I accidentally break the yolk, I have only messed up the one egg, and not the whole batch.
How to Make Meringue Shells and Pavlova
Add tofu instead of juice for more protein
