These are perfect little mouthfuls for a dessert treat. You can make the mini meringues up to two weeks ahead, store them in an airtight tin, and fill them just before serving.
Makes about 20 filled meringues
Special equipment
Large piping bag; 1⁄2in (10mm) plain piping nozzle
3 large egg whites
2⁄3 cup (175 g) granulated sugar (preferably golden)
For the filling
20 raspberries, about 4 oz (115 g) in total
about 10 tsp lemon curd
about 10 tbsp full-fat crème fraîche
1. Preheat the oven to 250ºF (130ºC). Cut out 2 pieces of parchment paper to fit 2 large baking sheets. Draw about 20 circles, approximately 13⁄4in (4.5cm) diameter, on each sheet of parchment. (See Pipe even rounds, step 1.)
2. Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk using an electric hand mixer on full speed until stiff and resembling a cloud. Start to add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition, until it has all been mixed in. The finished meringue mixture should look stiff and glossy. (See Make a smooth, glossy meringue mixture.)
3. Dab a small bit of the meringue mixture on each corner of the baking sheets and gently press the parchment on top, face down (so the pencil marks are underneath). Fit the piping bag with the piping nozzle. Spoon the rest of the meringue mixture into the bag (pipe half at a time if your bag is not big enough for all the mixture). Pipe about 40 small meringues onto the lined baking sheets. (See Pipe even rounds, steps 2–4.)
4. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, open the oven door so it is slightly ajar, and leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely cold, for about another 1 hour. (See Bake crispy meringues.)
5. To fill each pair of meringues, crush a raspberry on a small plate using a fork. Spread one flat side of a meringue with about 1⁄2 teaspoon of the lemon curd. Carefully spoon the crushed raspberry over the curd. Spread the flat side of another meringue with about 1⁄2 tablespoon of crème fraîche and sandwich the two together. (See Make neat meringue sandwiches.) Repeat with the remaining meringues and filling. Do this no more than about 1 hour before serving, or the meringues will go soft.
RASPBERRY CRUSH MINI MERINGUES
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Make a smooth, glossy meringue mixture
1 Take the eggs out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you need them, as you’ll get more volume from the whites if they’re at room temperature. Make sure you separate the eggs really carefully to prevent any yolk from mixing with the whites. Whisk the egg whites in a large, clean bowl, using the electric hand mixer on full speed. The mixture will become stiff and create soft peaks if the beater is lifted.
2 Immediately start to whisk in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk well between each addition, so the sugar is incorporated fully, otherwise the meringue may collapse during baking, or “weep” beads of sugar. When all the sugar has been added, the meringue will look smoother and very glossy and will stand in taller, stiffer peaks. Pipe the mixture right away, or the mixture will start to deflate.
Pipe even rounds
1 To ensure the meringues are of an equal size when piped, draw about 40 circles in total, about 13⁄4in (4.5cm) in diameter and 3⁄4–1in (2–2.5cm) apart, in pencil on the sheets of parchment paper. Use a round shape as a guide, such as a pastry cutter or small pot. Do this before you make the meringue mixture, or it may deflate.
2 Before piping, dab a little of the raw meringue mixture in the corners of the baking sheets, then press the parchment paper onto them. Lay the parchment face down, so the penciled circles are underneath but still visible. The parchment will stick to the baking sheets and be kept firmly in place when piping.
3 To fill the piping bag more easily, sit it in a measuring cup and fold the ends of the bag over the top of the cup. Spoon in the meringue, without overfilling the bag. Lay the bag on the worktop, and tap it down very gently with the side of your hand to remove any air bubbles. Twist the end of the bag to seal.
4 Hold the bag vertically, about 1in (2.5cm) above the baking sheet, and pipe rounds just inside the pencil lines, gently squeezing the mixture out into a smooth round with an even pressure as you lift the bag up. To finish, lightly push the nozzle down into the meringues, then quickly lift it off to give a small peak.
Bake crispy meringues
It’s important to allow the meringues long enough in the oven, so they can cook to the perfect texture. When done, they should be pale and crisp if tapped with a finger. They will also come away easily and cleanly from the parchment paper. If they’re still sticking, keep them in the oven a bit longer. Leaving them in the turned-off oven with the door slightly ajar enables them to dry out without overcooking.
Make neat meringue sandwiches
When spreading the lemon curd, crushed raspberry, and crème fraîche on each meringue, go almost but not right to the edge, otherwise the mixture will ooze out when you sandwich the meringues together. It’s important to use full-fat crème fraîche rather than a low-fat variety, as full-fat will retain its thick, creamy consistency better after the meringues have been filled.