Raspberry Swirled Meringues with Whipped Cream and Berries

This is one of my favorite summer desserts. It looks fancy but it’s soooo easy. Change up the fruit (peaches, mangoes, nectarines, etc) as the summer goes on. Make your meringues in the morning, because they cook low and slow. Come dinnertime, this dessert can be put together in 10 minutes flat.

Meringue

4 egg whites (120g)
1⁄2 t cream of tartar
1 c granulated sugar

Raspberry Sauce

1⁄2 c frozen or fresh raspberries
2 T granulated sugar
1⁄2 t lemon juice

Fruit

1 c strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 pint raspberries
2 T granulated sugar

Whipped Cream

2 c cold heavy whipping cream
2 T confectioners’ sugar
1⁄2 t vanilla

Raspberry Sauce:

You can use fresh or frozen fruit, depending on the season and availability but I go the easy route and use a bag of frozen raspberries. Place fruit in a saucepan and add sugar, starting with 2 tablespoons and increasing to taste. Squeeze 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice into the pan. Heat to a simmer until fruit breaks down slightly and sugar has melted. Strain to remove seeds and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Whisk egg whites in a clean bowl using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or you can beat by hand or use a hand-held mixer) until frothy. Add in cream of tartar and beat on high until the whites reach stiff peaks. Slowly rain in the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, re-beating to glossy, stiff peaks after each addition.

Spoon dollops (about 1⁄2 cup) of the meringue onto the parchment. Use the back of a spoon to make an indentation in the center of each meringue. Add a teaspoon of raspberry sauce to the center of each meringue. Use a chopstick at a 45 degree angle to swirl raspberry sauce into the meringue. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 225 and bake until firm and dry to the touch but not brown, about 1 hour. The meringues should be firm and easily removed from the parchment paper. Turn the oven off and let them cool in the oven, which will take about an hour.

Combine the berries with the sugar and stir. Crush some of the berries with the back of a fork to release juices. Let macerate.

Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or you can beat by hand) until it reaches soft peaks.

Just before serving, mound whipped cream into each meringue then top with berries.