Cooking and eating healthy, wholesome foods without sacrificing flavor is a breeze with Gina Homolka in The Skinnytaste Cookbook.
These sweet meringues are a great dessert if you’re having company or want to bring something sweet to a party. Since they’re nothing more than whipped egg whites, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla topped with fresh fruit, they’re naturally fat-free. But I do like to top them with a little fresh cream, so I came up with this delicious lighter alternative to full-fat whipped cream by whipping up only half of the cream, then folding in fat-free Greek yogurt. It works beautifully and the yogurt gives it a little extra tang.
Directions
- Adjust the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- For the meringues: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites, vanilla, cornstarch, and salt at medium speed until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the egg whites are soft and billowy, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until thick and glossy peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Using a spatula, scoop 1⁄4-cup mounds of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet, and use the spatula to make an indent in the center of each (like a bowl). You should have 9 meringues.
- Bake until firm on the outside and smooth, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven with the door closed until they are hard and dry, about 3 hours. Carefully remove the meringues from the paper. Immediately store them in an airtight container.
- For the fruit topping: In a small saucepan, combine 3⁄4 cup of the raspberries, the sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, using a spoon to press on the raspberries; discard the seeds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining raspberries with the mango and the kiwifruits.
- For the lighter whipped cream: Put a metal bowl and the beaters of a hand mixer into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the bowl and beaters from the freezer. Put the sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla into the bowl and beat with a hand mixer just until the cream reaches stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in the yogurt.
- Assemble the pavlovas by spooning 1 tablespoon light whipped cream into each meringue shell. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the fresh fruit, and 2 teaspoons raspberry sauce. Serve immediately.
Reprinted from The Skinnytaste Cookbook. Copyright © 2014 by Gina Homolka. Photographs copyright © 2014 by Penny De Los Santos. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
