Best Crispy Cereal Meringues Recipes

HAZELNUT SUGAR COOKIE CEREAL

Steps:

• Gently combine the Mini Sugar Cookie Hearts, Mini Meringues, cherries, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and hazelnuts in a large bowl. (I ended up only using about two-thirds of the meringues because I liked that cookie-to-meringue ratio. The remaining meringues were kept aside for noshing and cake decorating!)
• Serve in a bowl with milk. Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. The cereal should keep for a couple of weeks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• In a food processor, process the hazelnuts until finely ground. Add the flour and salt and pulse to combine.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat well to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until combined.
• Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out until it's 1/4 inch thick and use a cookie cutter to cut out tiny hearts. Place the hearts on the baking sheets (they can be pretty close together) and bake until lightly browned on the bottom, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce the oven to 250 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes to really crisp them up. Let cool on the baking sheets.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Distribute the sugar in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges start to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. While the sugar is baking, add the egg whites to a stand mixer.
• Once the sugar has been in the oven for a few minutes, begin beating the egg whites on high until foamy. Reduce the mixer and gradually sprinkle in the warm sugar. Once all of it has been added, add the almond extract and food coloring. Beat on high until the meringue is stiff, glossy and cold, just a few minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 225 degrees F.
• Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8- or 1/4-inch round tip with the egg white mixture. Pipe tiny dollops onto the parchment and bake for about 20 minutes, until the mini meringues are no longer shiny and crispy all the way through. Let cool on the baking sheets.

CRISPY BAKED MERINGUES

Steps:

• Whip the egg whites and salt into peaks.
• Add the vanilla, and continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
• In a separate bowl, stir the cream of tartar into the regular sugar and whisk into the whites very gradually, a spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and the sugar has dissolved.
• Sift together the icing sugar and cornstarch. Sift over the meringue and gently fold until fully incorporated.
• Pipe or spoon the meringues onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Each meringue should be about the size of a bar of soap.
• Bake at 225ºF/110ºC until cream-coloured and crisp on top when tapped, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
• Remove from the oven. Cool on the trays. Store in an air-tight container.

CHEWY CEREAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
• In a clean and dry glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar while continuing to whip until stiff peaks form. Fold in cereal, coconut and vanilla. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Allow to cool completely before removing from cookie sheets.

CRISP CHEWY MERINGUES

Steps:

• Using a whisk or electric mixer, whip the egg whites and salt into peaks. Add the vanilla, and continue beating to stiff peaks.
• Stir the cream of tartar into the regular sugar and whisk into the whites very gradually, a spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and the sugar has dissolved.
• Sift together the icing sugar and cornstarch. Sift over the meringue and gently fold until fully incorporated.
• Pipe or spoon the meringues onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 225 degrees F/110 degrees C until cream-coloured and crisp on top when tapped, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the meringues from the oven. Cool on the trays. Store in an air-tight container.

CRISPY MERINGUE CUPS WITH BERRIES AND SORBET

Steps:

• Stir together the strawberries, blackberries, sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Set aside to macerate, stirring occasionally, while you make the meringue cups.
• Whisk together the egg white, vanilla, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and lemon zest in another medium bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar and stir with a rubber spatula until mostly combined, and then mix with your hands until a thick, firm dough forms.
• Remove about 1/8 of the dough and place in another bowl. Add the red gel food coloring. Wearing gloves, knead the dough to swirl in the color until no streaks remain. Return the red dough to the bowl with the other dough and mix together until swirled throughout.
• Transfer the dough to a cutting board and pat into a disk. Cut into 8 equal pieces (about 2 tablespoons each), and then roll each into a ball. Use a finger to poke a hole, about 1/2 inch across and 1/2 inch deep, into the center of each ball. If the ball starts to crack when poked, use your fingers to press it back together. Cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel so they don't dry out.
• Line a microwave-safe round dinner plate with a paper towel. Place 1 ball in the center of the plate and microwave on the highest setting until the dough puffs into a crispy meringue about 5 inches across-it should be hollow when tapped, about 1 minute 30 seconds. Use an oven mitt or kitchen towel to remove the very hot plate from the microwave and transfer the paper towel with the meringue to a wire rack.
• Line a second large microwave-safe round dinner plate with a new paper towel and repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough, alternating between the two plates so that they have a little time to cool down after microwaving each meringue cup.
• Let the meringues cool completely, then carefully peel away the paper towels.
• Place each meringue cup on a serving plate and top each with about 1/2 cup of the macerated berries and a scoop of lemon sorbet. Drizzle with some of the juices from the fruit and serve immediately.