I stole this recipe for Cocoa Meringues with Berries from The Taste of Home Cookbook who stole it from Raymonde Bourgeois from Swastika, ON. This is a fancy dessert for two or can be doubled for more. A chocolatey meringue shell holds berries cooked in a slightly sweet orange sauce. Initially the recipe called for a mix of raspberries and blueberries but I only had strawberries on hand. You can use your choice of berries. And don’t be intimidated by making meringue from scratch, this recipe is straightforward and easy to follow.
Did you know? Very simply, a meringue is a mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and granulated sugar. In order for the sugar to dissolve completely, it must be beaten into the whites a tablespoon at a time.¹ (see more trivia in the Trivia tab)
Place 1 egg white in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 275 F. Add ⅛ tsp cream of tartar and dash of salt to egg white; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 2 tbsp sugar.
Mix 1 tbsp baking cocoa and 1 tbsp sugar; add to meringue with ¼ tsp vanilla.
Beat on high
until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
Fold in 2 tbsp finely chopped bittersweet chopped chocolate.
Drop two mounds onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-in. cups with the back of a spoon.
Bake 50-60 minutes or until set and dry. Turn oven off; leave meringue in oven for 1 hour.
In a small saucepan, combine 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp orange juice and 1 tbsp water.
Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened.
Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup chopped strawberries.
Cool to room temperature.
Spoon berries with sauce into meringue cups.
Cocoa Meringues with Berries
A chocolatey meringue shell holds berries cooked in a slightly sweet orange sauce. You can use your choice of berries. And don't be intimidated by making meringue from scratch, this recipe is straightforward and easy to follow. This is a fancy dessert for two or can be doubled for more.
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
- Dash salt
- 3 tbsp sugar divided
- 1 tbsp baking cocoa
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
Berry sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries thawed
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries thawed
Instructions
-
Place egg white in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 275 F. Add cream of tartar and salt to egg white; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 2 tbsp sugar.
-
Mix cocoa and remaining sugar; add to meringue with vanilla. Beat on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in chopped chocolate.
-
Drop two mounds onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-in. cups with the back of a spoon. Bake 50-60 minutes or until set and dry. Turn oven off; leave meringue in oven for 1 hour.
-
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, orange juice and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in the berries. Cool to room temperature. Spoon berries with sauce into meringue cups.
Recipe Notes
I use strawberries instead.