Spiced Cranberry Swirl Meringues
These fluffy meringue cookies swirled with spiced cranberry sauce look like Christmas itself.
Spiced Cranberry Swirl Meringues
Photo Credit : Adam Detour with styling by Catrine KeltyWe love how the tartness of the sauce balances the sweet meringue in these spiced cranberry swirl meringue cookies. And with no flour in the mix, they are perfect for folks with gluten sensitivities.
Recipe by Small Batch Baking Co.
Yield:
About 12 meringuesFor the cranberry puree:
Ingredients
1 cup cranberries
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup water
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
First, make the cranberry puree: In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, water, and spices. Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, decrease heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce has slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a container and let cool completely. The puree may be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
For the meringues:
Ingredients
4 egg whites, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch table salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Next, make the meringues: Preheat your oven to 225°F and line a pair of baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Carefully add the sugar in a very slow stream and continue to beat until the meringue is thick and glossy and forms stiff peaks.
Scoop ½-cup mounds of the meringue onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about ½ inch of space between them. Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to shape the mounds into circles.
Using the back of a teaspoon, make a slight impression in the meringue, then fill it with the puree. Use two chopsticks held together (or the tip of a knife) to swirl the puree through the meringue: Stick the chopsticks just under the puree at an angle, then gently lift them up and around the circumference, dragging the puree with them. Repeat, swirling clockwise, then counterclockwise, until you have pretty swirls. Be as gentle as possible so the meringue doesn’t deflate.
Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake until meringues are dry to the touch, about 1½ hours, rotating the pans halfway through. Turn the oven off and allow them to cool completely inside the oven for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Store meringues in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.
