Clouds of billowy meringue floating on a sea of strawberry – a simple, but elegant, dessert sure to win their heart this Valentine’s Day.
INGREDIENTS
For the strawberry coulis
16 oz strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
For the islands
2 large egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 225°F
2. Follow these simple steps for successful meringues. Scoop the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (or into a plastic bag with a corner cut off). Drop 1-inch stars onto a baking sheet, and bake meringues for about 40 minutes. Turn off the heat, but let the cookies remain in the oven for another 30 minutes to cool slowly and prevent cracking.
3. Cook strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook an additional 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature and then puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.
4. Pour mixture evenly into four glasses. Place a meringue cookie into each glass. Garnish with crumbled meringue, half a strawberry, and a mint leaf. Serve with additional meringue cookies.
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for a week or freeze for up to a month.
