My Big Fat Creamsicle Meringues

By AzWench

Ingredients

• For the Meringues:
• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon distilled white vinegar or cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 cup (200 g) superfine or baker’s sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon orange extract (not orange oil)
• 2 drops orange food coloring (optional)
• For the filling:
• 5 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Make the meringue:
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius). Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.

Transfer the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high until just foamy and add the salt, vinegar and vanilla bean paste. (The vinegar acts as a protein stabilizer, helping to maintain the integrity of the protein networks and prevent overmixing.)

With the mixer on high, add the superfine sugar a scant tablespoon at a time, letting it trickle in slowly (I count to ten). This is crucial; you must ensure that the superfine sugar completely melts into the meringue (the friction of the whisking causes the sugar to melt). If the sugar isn’t properly integrated and melted into the egg white mixture, your meringue will break and begin to weep while baking.

Beat the egg whites and sugar until very stiff, white and glossy.

Place half of the meringue in a clean bowl, leaving the remaining half in the mixing bowl. Place the orange extract and orange food coloring (if using) into the mixing bowl and whisk on high until fully incorporated.

Carefully transfer the plain meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, working the meringue into the bag so it fills up only one side (you don’t have to be perfect). Spoon the orange meringue into the other side of the pastry bag. On the prepared pans, pipe the meringue into rosettes, starting in the center and carefully spiraling out until you’ve created a 3-inch (7.5 cm) rosette.

Bake for 2 hours, or until the exterior is crisp and sounds hollow when you tap the underside. You can store the meringues in an airtight, moisture-free container for up to 2 weeks.

Make the filling:
In the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, corn syrup, vanilla bean paste, salt, orange extract and 1/4 cup (60 ml) water. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the temperature of the mixture reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius).

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk the mixture until you achieve very stiff, white, glossy peaks.

To assemble:
Pipe a silver dollar-size dollop of the filling onto the flat side of a meringue rosette and sandwich with a second meringue. Serve the assembled meringue tarts immediately.

OPTIONS:
Meringue is beautifully adaptable to flavors. You can replace the vanilla bean paste with lemon extract or orange extract for a citrus spike; however, you cannot use oil-based flavors. The oil will deflate the meringue. You can also add a few tablespoons of fruit puree for both a flavor punch and a color splash. Or fold in 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder once the meringue has reaches the stiff-peak stage.