Blueberry Meringues
This time of year I find that the berries in the produce section are very hit-or-miss. Unfortunately, it’s been more “miss” lately, as we’re just not quite into berry season yet. I keep my berry cravings (and my sweet tooth!) in check with the help of freeze-dried berries. I’ve used them before in my Strawberry Powdered Sugar Doughnuts, and Vanilla Cake with Berry Buttercream. Today: Blueberry Meringues!
These crisp, chewy blueberry meringues are colored with blueberry powder and dipped in dark chocolate. The meringue is super sweet, so I used a dark chocolate for a bit of balance. Oh, and a LOT of sprinkles…because sprinkles!
You know me, I put vanilla bean paste in everything, and these meringues are no exception! I love the flavor and it’s cheaper than using whole vanilla beans. If you’re looking to purchase vanilla bean paste and can’t find it in your local grocery store (I never can), you can find it online [here].
These gems get their blueberry flavor and color from freeze-dried blueberries (like these [here]). Just grind them into a powder in a food processor and you’re good to go. Note that this recipe is very sensitive to humidity, both in getting the powder to grind up nicely and in baking the meringues themselves. If it’s a humid day, I wouldn’t set about to make these!
I baked my meringues on silpats because they’re reusable, nothing sticks to them, and the bottoms of the meringues brown more slowly. If you’d like to get some silpats for yourself, you can find them [here].
So, here I am still dreaming of berry season, but I know it will arrive soon! <3
Other posts you may like:
Salted Caramel and Chocolate Meringues
Vanilla Cake with Berry Buttercream
Strawberry Powdered Sugar Doughnuts
Blueberry Meringues
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (see note)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp blueberry powder (see note)
- 1-2 drops blue or purple food coloring, if desired
- 8 oz chocolate, melted (I used 60% cacao)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats (see note) and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed with the whisk attachment until frothy. Increase the speed to high and beat to stiff peaks.
- With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and salt. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on high for five minutes. Mixture will be white, stiff, and glossy.
- Add vanilla bean paste, blueberry powder, and food coloring (if using) and mix to combine. Pipe meringue onto the prepared sheets (each of my meringues were about 1 1/2" across).
- Bake meringues about 40 minutes, turning them around half way through baking. Meringues will be crisp on the outside and slightly chewy in the center. Allow meringues to cool completely on the pan before trying to move them.
- Line baking sheets with waxed paper or parchment. Once meringues are cooled, dip the bottoms of each in chocolate (then in sprinkles, if desired!) and place on prepared baking sheets. Allow the chocolate to set completely before serving.Enjoy!