Does this happen to anybody else ever? You have left over egg yolks so you make pudding, but then you end up needing more egg yolks than you had so you end up with left over egg whites. Now you’re just stuck in an endless cycle of using up leftover parts of eggs! It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it means you end up with super yummy meringue nests you wouldn’t have made otherwise! And aren’t unintended desserts the best kind? I’m sure they don’t have as many calories in either 😉
When I have egg whites to use up my first thought is always meringue, it’s one of my all time favourite sweets. There’s just something about the way it crunches and melts in your mouth all at the same time that is just irresistible to me. I thought about making some meringue to crush up and put in an Eton Mess, but then I decided I should make the meringue a dessert all by itself, it deserves to be the star of the show after all!
As a baker I always like to make sure I at least have lemons and cream in the fridge and a well stocked spice cupboard, there are few things you can’t spruce up with the right citrus and spice (plus lemons are insanely useful for so many things around the house) and cream makes everything better and more decadent. As luck would have it, I also had some oranges in the fridge. Orange and cinnamon are natural partners, their familiar dance on your tongue is traditional but still exciting as the first time. Lemon and cardamom may not be as familiar to some, but when they take to the dance floor it’s clear they were always meant to be. And that has to get an award for the weirdest metaphor I’ve written… this week anyway! So I’m no shakespeare, but I think I got my point across – these are flavour combinations made in heaven!
So with those strange metaphors swimming around my head, I added lemon zest to half of the meringue and orange zest to the other half. Baked them and filled the lemon ones with cardamom cream and the orange ones with cinnamon cream. The food colouring added the meringue is technically optional, but I really do think it’s what makes this dessert look so fun and inviting! So unless you have an allergy or an aversion to food colourings, I would definitely keep them in!
Meringue is really not as hard to make as some might think. You just have to make sure to whip your egg whites properly and make sure your equipment is clean and dry. Some people add cream of tartar or lemon juice to their egg whites to help stabilise them, but I find the sugar does that job well enough for meringue. Baking them correctly is the other important factor of course, they need a low heat for a fairly long time. When the baking time is up, I like to turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool inside the oven as it cools down itself. I find that the best way to get the melt in your mouth texture. Patience is the key here and my lack of patience is usually my biggest downfall, so if I can do it so can you!
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And on the subject of magic, I’m gonna bring these little beauties to the magical party that is Fiesta Friday! I hope our host, and co hosts Nancy and Loretta, like them – and of course all your wonderful partiers too!
- 4 large egg whites
- 225g caster sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- zest of 1 orange
- yellow and orange food colouring (gel is best)
- 400ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- Preheat your oven to 140C/280F and line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
- Prepare your piping bags, fit them with a large star nozzle (if you only have 1 nozzle, you can prepare the second one after you're done with the first). Dip a clean, wet paint brush into your food colouring and paint lines from inside the tip of the nozzle all the way up your piping bag - yellow in one, orange in the other. You want nice, vibrant colours so don't be shy with the colouring. You want 3 or 4 stripes evenly spaced around the bag. Place the piping bags in a large glass to hold it upright, ready to be filled.
- Pour your egg whites into a clean, dry bowl (either your stand mixer bowl, or you can use a hand held mixer) and whisk until soft peaks form. This can take a little while, you'll know they're ready when they start to hold shape but only just, they tips will immediately fall down and back into the mixture. Continue to whisk the eggs, adding 1 tbsp sugar at a time until all the sugar has been added and you have thick, glossy meringue and stiff peaks (peaks stand firm when whisk is pulled away, the tips will stand straight up).
- Divide the meringue into two bowls. Add the lemon zest to one and gently fold in, do the same with the orange zest in the other bowl.
- Spoon the lemon meringue into the piping bag with the yellow colouring. Pipe a small circle on the baking sheet, bring it up and around again to create a nest. Repeat with remaining meringue and do the same for the orange meringue in the orange coloured piping bags. Be gentle when piping, you don't want to deflate the egg whites. You should get around 6 nests out of each flavour, but just keep going until you've used up all the meringue.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 1 hour. Then, leaving the meringues in the oven, turn the heat down to 120C/240F and bake for another 30 minutes. The oven is ready to be turned off when the meringues are easily lifted off the baking paper, if they don't peel away easily keep the oven and continue to bake. Check every 5 or so minutes until done. Then turn the oven off, leave the meringues in the oven and leave to cool.
- Once meringues are cooled, remove from the oven and make the creams.
- Pour 200ml of the double cream into a clean, cold bowl (for best results, put your bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 or 10 minutes) and whisk until soft peaks form, add the cardamom and continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Spoon into a clean piping bag and pipe into the lemon meringue nests.
- Repeat with the remaining 200ml cream and cinnamon, pipe into the orange meringues.
- Best served the day they are made as the moisture of the cream will make the meringue break down a bit.
- If you don't have a piping nozzle, no worries, just snip the end off the piping bags after you've spooned the meringue into it. Your nests will have a different look, but they'll still look good.
- If using the same nozzle for both meringue flavours, make sure you wash and dry it thoroughly between flavours.
Sharing with…
Foodie Fridays, Pure Blog Love, Fiesta Friday, Super Saturday, Show Me Saturdays, Scraptastic Saturday, Bewitchin’ Projects Party, Motivation Monday, Inspiration Monday, Sweet and Savoury Sundays, Frugal Crafty Home, Time to Sparkle, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Inspire Me Wednesday, Create it Thursday
Very festive Michelle!
😀 They’d be great way to end a christmas party for sure!
I absolutely LOVE the combination of flavors in your meringue nests, yum! I saw this on the Foodie Fridays link up! I would be delighted if you’d stop by http://picnicnz.blogspot.co.nz/ and add this to the Pure Blog Love link party too 🙂
Thank you Nicole! and thank you for the invite to your link party 😀 I hope you have a great weekend 😀
That is a stunning dessert Michelle! Thank you for joining us again at Foodie Fridays, I am so happy to have you! I’ve pinned of course, and I am sharing your yummy dessert on my Facebook page on Saturday!
Thank you Michelle! x
Just gorgeous Michelle. Welcome to FF #41. The ingredients tell me that this has to be a winner. I love looking through all your wonderful creations each week. Our guests will surely want more than one helping. I hope you enjoy the weekend. 🙂
Thank you Loretta! Happy FF and have a great weekend 😀
Those are so pretty, and the flavourings you chose are just perfect. Will bookmark this one. Thanks for sharing and happy FF!
Thank you Hilda, Happy FF to you too! x
This looks so pretty Michelle! Happy FF & weekend to you! 🙂
Thank you Arl! Happy FF to you too, have a great weekend x
YES!!! That does happen to me all the time! But I love your ingenuity here to use up all the leftover egg whites. These multicolored nests are so pretty! I wouldn’t have ever thought to pair bright citrus with warm spicy cinnamon or cardamom, but I bet it works great!
Thank you Lina! Adding the spices to citrus is a great way to get those warming autumn flavours but have it still be light and fresh!
Your meringues are definitely the star of show, Michelle! They are beautiful to look at, and I imagine the flavors are spectacular. Thanks for bringing them along to the Fiesta Friday gathering…I just know they’ll be a hit!
Thank you Nancy! xx
I love the swirly marbled effect you have here. It’s just beautiful!
Thank you 😀
Oh my Michelle – I have made meringue before but you take it over the top – just beautiful. I just might have to try these 🙂
Thank you Judith! I hope you do give them a go, they’re really yummy! x
I have egg whites in my fridge right now! Was going to turn them into egg white omelettes but that’s boring! I much rather eat meringue, especially these meringue nests! Meringue never looks so good, Michelle! I can pop a few in one sitting!
Omelettes may be the healthier option, but life’s too short not to make meringue haha! I hope you do try them, they’re really yummy and they’re only small so you can definitely eat a few in one go!
So pretty, Michelle!
Thank you 😀
Unintended desserts are indeed the best Micelle 🙂 These nests look so dainty and so gorgeous! Love the flavors and colors, so very festive! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you Naina, I’m so happy you liked them!
I have a love hate relationships with meringues, but I’m seriously LOVING these!! Sharing these on FB today. Thank you for linking up with #FoodieFridays!
Thank you Christie!! x
Visiting from Come Show Me Saturday. I keep meaning to try meringues but haven’t gotten around to it yet, these sound great and I love the colours too! I co-host Sweet and Savoury Sunday and would love for you to stop by and share this and other recipes with us when the party goes live on Sunday. Have a great day!
Thank you Laura 🙂 You should definitely give meringue a go, it’s one of those things that’s really satisfying to make haha! And thanks for the invite, I will definitely check it out tomorrow x
Your meringues look so lovely, what a wonderful and delicious “unintended” dessert:)
Thank you Lily! x
These are gorgeous! Meringue’s scare me a bit, but now I really want to try them.
Thank you Sarah! You should definitely give it a go, it might surprise you!
They look fantastic! I love your use of colour, they really made me smile. I’d smile much more if I was able to tuck into them right now … 😉
Thank you 😀
I heart meringues! My late aunt used to make them every Christmas and I’ve loved them since childhood. It’s so fun to see the different variations people come up with. These look beautiful and delicious!
Thank you Carrie!
These are gorgeous with those colored swirls.
Thank you 😀
Wow, these look so fancy and perfect! I love the idea of flavored meringue nests!
Thank you 😀
These look so adorable, Michelle. Such a brilliant idea for meringue. 🙂
Thank you Jhuls 😀
Thanks for sharing these beauties with us.
Thank you skd 🙂
Mmm.. now I really want to make some meringues! These look delicious!
Thank you Anna! x
These are so pretty and yummy-looking, Michelle! 🙂
Thanks Nancy! x
These look gorgeous!
Thank you 😀
Those have got to be the most beautiful little desserts I’ve ever seen! I bet they just melt in your mouth too.
Thanks so much for sharing on Show Me Saturday!
~ Ashley
Thank you Ashley!
I love lemon in anything! These look Stunnning Michelle and I love the Bright Yellow and Orange swirl! We love Meringue at home, and I can’t wait to try this (and then find a recipe to use all the Yolks!! 🙂 )
Thank you Dini! I hope you guys like them, and find some fun things to bake with the yolks!
Michelle,
These are simply delightful. They look like something out of a fairy tail! So beautiful. I can only imagine how they taste! YUM!
Aww, thank you so much Lisa 😀 x
Your meringue came out looking beautiful. I would love to have these right about now. Wonderful post.
Thank you 🙂 x
I haven’t made meringue in years. They look amazing! Thanks for sharing and linking up to Scraptastic Saturdays. This post will be shared via FB, Twitter and Pintest. Have a wonderful week.
Thank you Andrea x
This looks devine, Michelle! Wish I could have one 😮
Thank you Sarah! x