Best Irish Coffee Meringues Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

IRISH COFFEE MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F Draw two 7-inch circles on a sheet of parchment paper.
• Place the egg whites in a spotlessly clean and dry bowl. Add the 3/4 cup confectioners sugar and whisk until the mixture stands in medium peaks.
• Sift the coffee powder with the remaining confectioners' sugar and carefully fold into the egg whites.
• Carefully spread the meringue with a palette knife onto the circles on the parchment paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until crisp.
• The disks should peel easily from the paper. Allow to cool completely.
• Add the whiskey to the whipped cream. Place into a pastry bag. Sandwich the meringue disks together with 2/3 of the flavored cream.
• Pipe 5 rosettes on the top with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate-coated coffee beans. TO SLICE: Use a sharp thin knife that has been heated by sitting in very hot water.

IRISH COFFEE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• To make the cupcakes, into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the coffee until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa until dissolved, then add the 1/2 cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, stirring until melted. Whisk in the brown sugar and let cool until tepid. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Don't overmix.
• Divide the batter among the cupcake liners and bake until the cupcakes feel just set in the center, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely.
• To make the filling, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a food processor fitted with a metal blade, beat together the cream cheese, 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) salted butter, and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the Irish cream liqueur.
• To fill the cupcakes, use a sharp knife to cut a 2-inch (5-cm) cone-shaped hole in the center of each cupcake. Remove the plug-like pieces. Trim off the tip of each plug to create a disk-shaped piece that is 1/3 inch (8 mm) thick. Save these disks for capping the filled cupcakes.
• Divide the filling among the cupcakes, then gently press the caps into the filling. They won't fit perfectly, which is fine, and some filling may bulge out.
• To make the glaze, melt the chocolate with the cream and corn syrup or agave nectar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the whiskey.
• Dip the tops of the filled cupcakes in the glaze, completely sealing the tops and generously coating them. Let cool, right side up, until the glaze is firm.

FLUFFY COFFEE AND WALNUT CAKE WITH MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Lightly butter three 8"-diameter cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Toast 2 cups (250 g) raw walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Let cool. Set aside 1 cup walnuts for serving.
• Meanwhile, cook ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or refined coconut oil, melted. Set brown butter mixture aside.
• Pulse remaining 1 cup toasted walnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground (it should be the texture of panko). Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2¼ tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. baking soda.
• Process 4 large eggs, 1¼ cups (250 g) sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1 tsp. instant espresso powder in food processor (no need to clean bowl) until mixture is lightened in color and thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir 2 Tbsp. whole milk into reserved brown butter mixture. With motor running, gradually stream brown butter mixture into egg mixture and process until combined. Add dry ingredients and process just until a smooth batter forms. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans front to back after 15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to pull away from the sides of pans and a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks and let cakes cool 15 minutes. Run a small knife around edges of each cake to release from pan if needed. Turn out cakes onto racks and remove parchment paper; discard. Turn cakes right side up and let cool completely.
• Combine 8 large egg whites, 2¼ cups (450 g) sugar, ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set over a medium saucepan filled with 1½" of simmering water (bowl should not touch water). Heat, stirring and scraping often with a heatproof rubber spatula, until sugar is dissolved and an instant-read thermometer registers 185°, 10-15 minutes.
• Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until meringue is shiny and stiff, 8-10 minutes. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
• With mixer on medium speed, add 3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces, a piece at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding more. Once all the butter has been added, increase speed to high and beat 1 minute. Transfer buttercream in bowl to refrigerator and chill 30 minutes.
• Fit bowl with buttercream back onto stand mixer and add ¼ cup (21 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if needed, and 2 tsp. instant espresso powder. Beat on medium-low speed, scraping down sides as needed, until combined.
• Using a large serrated knife and long sawing strokes, remove tops of cakes to level if needed. Place a cake layer, right side up, on a cake stand or large plate. Using an offset spatula, spread ¼ cup buttercream over cake, working all the way to the edges. Place second cake layer, right side up, on top; spread another ¼ cup buttercream over cake, working all the way to the edges. Place third cake layer, cut side down, on top, and press lightly to adhere. Spread top and sides of cake with ½ cup buttercream in a thin, even layer. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. (If chilling cake longer than 1 hour, cover remaining buttercream in bowl and chill. Bring to room temperature and beat again before using.)

CARAMEL COFFEE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Make meringues:
• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly oil ramekins.
• Stir together 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons espresso powder in a small bowl. Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add sugar mixture a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.
• Spoon meringue into ramekins, forming gentle swirling peaks in tops. Arrange ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until meringues are slightly puffed and a shade darker, 4 to 5 minutes (meringues will still be very soft). Transfer ramekins to a rack and cool 30 minutes, then chill at least 3 hours. (Meringues will deflate slightly and pull away from sides of ramekins.)
• Make syrup:
• Stir together 1/4 cup water and remaining tablespoon espresso powder in a small glass.
• Bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and remaining 1/4 cup water to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved and washing down any crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Boil syrup, without stirring, gently swirling pan, until mixture is a deep golden caramel. Remove from heat and carefully pour in espresso mixture (liquid will bubble and steam), then stir until well combined (if necessary, stir over low heat until caramel is dissolved). Transfer syrup to a heatproof bowl and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Make topping and serve meringues:
• Just before serving, beat cream with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks. Drizzle each meringue with 1 tablespoon syrup and top generously with whipped cream.
• *Available at specialty foods shops, some supermarkets, and The Baker's Catalogue (800-827-6836; bakerscatalogue.com).
• **Available at some cookware shops and Bridge Kitchenware (800-274-3435 or 212-688-4220).

COFFEE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
• Grease 2 or 3 cookie sheets or use parchment paper lined sheets.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
• Fold in confectioners' sugar.
• Stir coffee granules into warm water in small bowl until dissolved.
• Fold into meringue.
• Spoon meringue into piping bag fitted with 1 1/2 inch nozzle.
• Pipe mounds onto cookie sheet, each about 1/2 inch high, 1 inch in diameter and about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake on lowest rack in oven for 35-40 minutes until dry.
• Turn oven off and let meringues stand in unopened oven until cool.
• Heat chocolate in medium saucepan on lowest heat, stirring often until melted; do hot overheat.
• Removed from heat.
• Stir until smooth.
• Dip bottoms of each meringue into chocolate (or 1 side of each meringue), allowing excess to drip back into saucepan.
• Place on foil or waxed paper-lined cookie sheets.
• Let stand in cool place until chocolate is set.
• Do not chill.
• Store in airtight containers.

HAZELNUT BUTTER AND COFFEE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove nuts and reduce oven temperature to 200°. Bundle nuts in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove skins. Spread out and let cool.
• Blend hazelnuts and salt in a food processor until a smooth, creamy nut butter forms (it should be pretty fluid; keep processing if still stiff); set aside.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, about 1 minute. With motor running, gradually add granulated sugar and beat until medium peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 8-10 minutes.
• Transfer meringue to a large bowl and gently fold in half of reserved hazelnut butter, leaving plenty of streaks. Add remaining hazelnut butter and fold once just to barely blend. Mixture should be marbled with thick ribbons of nut butter.
• Spoon heaping spoonfuls of meringue onto parchment-lined baking sheets (meringues will flatten slightly as they bake, so make them tall) and top with coffee beans. Bake until dry, 2-2 1/2 hours. Turn off heat and let cool in oven.
• Do ahead: Meringues can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.