No Valentine’s Day would be complete without a little chocolate sweetness. These meringue cups would make the perfect treat for your Valentine this year.
Chocolate Heart Meringue Cups with Whipped Cream and Berries
INGREDIENTS:
Chocolate Heart Meringue Shells:
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Assembly:
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- roughly 2 half-pints of mixed berries (eg. raspberries, blackberries, and fresh red currants)
- semisweet chocolate, for shaving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Trace six large hearts (roughly 3 inches tall x 2.5 in wide) on a large sheet of parchment paper. Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet–pencil side facing down.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl (clean and free of any grease) of stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk over low speed for 1-2 minutes, or until egg whites are foamy. Increase speed to medium and continue to whisk for an additional 1-2 minutes. Slowly start sprinkling in the granulated sugar, while continuing to whisk at medium speed. Increase speed to high and whisk until meringue reaches a stiff peak (10 to 12 additional minutes).
- Gently fold in the cocoa powder with a spatula. Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip. Pipe a thin layer (roughly 1/2″ thick) of meringue–filling the entire heart–to form the base of the cup. Carefully trace the edges of the heart four times with piped meringue to form the sides of the heart meringue cups. It should be relatively tall, about 1.5 inches tall at least. Repeat until all of the meringue cups are formed.
- Immediately (and carefully) place the meringue in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the meringue is dry. Once baked, turn off the oven and allow meringues to dry in the warm oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Meringue should be crispy, hard, and not sticky. If the meringue is wet or sticky (which can depend on humidity levels), allow them to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the meringue cups from the parchment paper and set aside. Allow the meringue to cool completely.
Assembly:
- Place the cold cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or medium sized bowl). Using the whisk attachment, or a hand-held mixer, whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks. Do not overheat.
- Fill the meringue cups with dollops of whipped cream, top with mixed berries, and garnish with shaved semisweet chocolate (optional). Serve immediately.
Meringue shells can be prepared up to a day or two in advance and kept in an airtight container at room temperature (preferably with a silica gel pack to keep moisture out).
Recipe & photos by Laura Davidson, the talented author and photographer of the upcoming Sheet Pan Suppers Simply Meatless (Workman Publishing, Spring 2017).
While we wait for the next cookbook to come out, you can pick up the original Sheet Pan Suppers wherever books are sold!
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