Best Marbled Meringue Hearts Recipes

MERINGUE CLOUDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange two oven racks evenly in the oven.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the sugar in an even layer on the paper. (Leave a small border of paper around the sugar so the sugar doesn't spill onto the pan.) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sugar is hot (an edge will begin to brown). Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When the sugar is almost ready, whisk the egg whites on high speed for 1 minute, until the whites are frothy. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the hot sugar to the egg whites. (I use a large spoon to start and then pick up the paper and pour the sugar in slowly.) Add the vanilla and continue to whisk on high for 10 minutes, until the meringue is at room temperature. It will be very thick and glossy.
• Using two large serving spoons, scoop 12 very large oval dollops of meringue onto two sheet pans lined with parchment paper. You should be able to get 6 meringues on each pan; space them well because they will expand while they bake. Place 3 candied rose petals on top of each meringue. Bake for 2 hours, until the outsides of the meringues are crisp and the centers are still soft. Set aside to cool on baking racks. Allow to sit uncovered and serve at room temperature. (Don't refrigerate or store covered or they will lose their crispness.)

MERINGUE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mixer, and beat with mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes. Divide meringue into batches, and tint each with food coloring as desired. Transfer to pastry bags fitted with medium open star tips. Pipe hearts (1/2 to 1 inch each) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 2 hours. Turn oven off, and let meringues stand in oven for 8 hours (or overnight).

HEART-SHAPED MERINGUES FILLED WITH PASSION FRUIT CURD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trace 4 heart shapes onto the parchment paper using a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Turn parchment paper over on baking sheet; set aside.
• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the egg mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Attach bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
• Spoon meringue mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round 1/2-inch tip. Cover one of the hearts with an even layer of meringue. Continue piping meringue around the outer edge of the heart, making a 1-inch-high cup. Repeat piping over the remaining hearts.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 175 degrees, and bake until meringue is dry and crisp but still white., 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours more. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let meringues cool completely before carefully easing them off the parchment. Meringues can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
• When ready to serve, fill each meringue heart with passion fruit curd and garnish with berries. Dust meringues with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

PILLOWY MERINGUE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Put egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar into the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water.Whisk until mixture is warm and sugar has dissolved.
• Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
• Transfer half the meringue to another bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir orange zest into 1 bowl of meringue. Stir grapefruit zest and pink food coloring into remaining meringue.
• Place a 3 1/4-by-3 1/2-inch heart-shape cutter in one corner of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a small spatula, fill heart with meringue; swirl. Push down edges of meringue with the spatula, and lift up cutter. Repeat, spacing meringue hearts 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
• Bake until meringues are firm and can be removed easily from parchment paper, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Meringues can be stored between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.