passion fruit meringues

These passion fruit meringues are beautiful, light, and delicious, the perfect sweet for a spring event. Passion fruit is one of my favorite flavors, and when I have a little puree left over from another recipe, or some extra egg whites from making ice cream, I always make these.

INGREDIENTS

4 egg whites ( 1/2 cup)

Pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons passion fruit puree

EQUIPMENT

mixer with whisk attachment

spatula

measuring cups and spoons

piping bag

large star tip

pastel food coloring and small brush (optional)

sheet pan lined with parchment

TIME: 3 1/2 hours

YIELD: about 3 dozen

TO MAKE:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Combine the 1/2 cup egg whites and pinch of salt in a mixer with the whisk attachment and beat until foamy. Mix in the 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat at medium high adding the cup of sugar in slowly, a tablespoon at a time, and beating continuously. Beat until the meringue reaches firm peaks and is stiff. Mix in the 2 tablespoons passion fruit puree.

Place a large star tip in a piping bag. If desired you can lightly paint the inside of the piping bag with pastel food coloring stripes for a pretty spring look. Pipe the meringue onto a parchment covered sheet pan into rounds of about 2 inches. You should get roughly 36, and may have to use two sheet pans depending on how you space them.

Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let the meringues sit in the closed oven for 2 hours. Do not open the oven while baking. Remove from the oven, cool and place in a sealed container. The meringues should be crisp on the outside and soft in the middle.

NOTES:

Passion fruit puree is available in the freezer section of some groceries. I get mine at our Latin American grocery.

You must use egg whites that you have separated from whole eggs. Do not use packaged cartons of egg whites, they will not whip correctly.

In order to fully whip the egg whites, they must be completely free of fat. Be very careful when separating the eggs.

Adding the sugar in slowly, one tablespoon at a time, is the key to getting the correct texture.

Meringues must be piped and baked and soon as they are made. If you are multiplying the recipe and making more than will fit in your oven you will need to make separate batches.

Take care to pipe them all the same size so they cook evenly.

They will absorb humidity so keep them in a sealed container. The texture will change over time-they are best the first week.