Heart Shaped Meringues Filled With Passion Fruit Curd Recipes

HEART-SHAPED MERINGUES FILLED WITH PASSION FRUIT CURD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trace 4 heart shapes onto the parchment paper using a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Turn parchment paper over on baking sheet; set aside.
• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the egg mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Attach bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
• Spoon meringue mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round 1/2-inch tip. Cover one of the hearts with an even layer of meringue. Continue piping meringue around the outer edge of the heart, making a 1-inch-high cup. Repeat piping over the remaining hearts.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 175 degrees, and bake until meringue is dry and crisp but still white., 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours more. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let meringues cool completely before carefully easing them off the parchment. Meringues can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
• When ready to serve, fill each meringue heart with passion fruit curd and garnish with berries. Dust meringues with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

PASSION MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Dust the work surface with a little flour, then roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use to line a deep, 23cm loose-bottom flan tin and chill until firm. Line with greaseproof paper and a layer of baking beans, then bake for 20 mins. Remove the paper and beans, then return to the oven for 5 mins until pale golden in colour. Leave to cool.
• For the filling, cut the passion fruit in half, then scoop the pulp of 10 into a sieve over a large jug. Rub the pulp and juice through the sieve; discard the seeds. Scoop the pulp and seeds of the remaining fruit into the juice. You should now have 150ml in total - so make up with orange juice if you don't have enough. In a pan, mix the cornflour with the sugar, then gradually stir in 200ml cold water followed by the passion fruit. Cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens. Take the pan off the heat and whisk the yolks into the hot mixture.
• Reduce oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. For the meringue, whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks, then gradually whisk in the sugar until thick and glossy. Reheat the filling briefly, then spread over the pastry base. Spoon the meringue over the filling, starting from the pastry edge and working your way into the middle, then gently swirl the spoonfuls together. Bake for 20 mins until the meringue is lightly golden. Serve warm or cold.

PASSION-FRUIT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Preheat oven to 200°F. and oil a baking sheet. On a sheet of parchment paper, using a 3- or 4-inch heart-shaped cutter as a guide, draw 6 hearts. Turn parchment over and put on baking sheet.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar and a pinch salt until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar and beat until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip and pipe evenly onto parchment hearts, filling them in. (Alternatively, divide meringue among parchment hearts, spreading with a small spatula to fill in.)
• Bake meringue layers in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until crisp and firm. (If weather is humid, cooking time may be longer.) Cool meringue layers completely on baking sheet in turned-off oven and carefully peel off parchment. Meringue layers may be kept, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container in a cool, dry place 1 week.
• Make filling:
• Halve 3 passion fruits and scoop out pulp (including seeds and juice) into a sieve set over a bowl. Force pulp through sieve, pressing hard on seeds, and discard seeds. In a bowl beat cream until it holds soft peaks and fold in passion-fruit juice and sugar until just combined.
• Make garnish:
• Halve remaining passion fruit and scoop out seeds, reserving them. Halve pomegranate. Bending back rinds, dislodge some seeds from membranes, reserving them, and reserve some juice.
• Arrange a meringue heart on each of 2 plates. Top hearts with whipped cream and garnish with some reserved passion-fruit and pomegranate seeds. Top each dessert with 1 more meringue heart. Desserts may be made 2 hours ahead and chilled, loosely covered. Bring desserts to room temperature before serving.
• Garnish desserts with more passion-fruit and pomegranate seeds and some reserved juice.