Barefoot Bloggers-My Pick! Meringues Chantilly

It was finally my turn to pick a recipe for the Barefoot Bloggers group. I sifted through all of Ina's cookbooks and had a really hard time choosing. Their were so many recipes I wanted to try. I finally narrowed it down to the Meringues Chantilly from the Barefoot in Paris book. I chose this recipe for a few reasons: 1. I wanted a recipe that would be a challenge for me and that I could learn a new skill and 2. I thought it would be a perfect recipe for Valentines since it was a February pick and 3. I thought this would be a fun dinner party dessert sometime and I never seem to preview desserts before serving them at a party. This recipe was as exquisite tasting as I had imagined. The meringues came out perfectly, crunchy with a slight bit of chewiness in the middle. I decided to lighten mine up a bit and served it with a scoop of mango sorbet instead of the whipped cream. I really liked the combination and am also sure the whipped cream would have been divine. I hope everyone had as much fun with this pick as I did. This is sure to appear on one of my dinner party menus soon. Its too good to save it just for Valentines! Please make sure to check out the other Barefoot Bloggers and see their beautiful creations. Note the recipe that appears below is one on the internet, it differs from the original in Barefoot in Paris in that the book calls for Ina's raspberry sauce instead of the stewed berries. I prepared mine according to the cookbook version.

Past Barefoot in Paris Favorites:

Coeur a la Creme
Lentil Sausage Soup
Lemon Chicken with Croutons
Herb Baked Eggs

Meringues Chantilly

• 6 extra - large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Whipped Cream with Orange Liqueur, recipe follows
• Stewed berries, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small glass and a pencil, draw 6 (3 1/2-inch) circles on each piece of paper. Turn the paper face-down on the baking sheets.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a large pinch of salt on medium speed until frothy. Add 1 cup of the sugar and raise the speed to high until the egg whites form very stiff peaks. Whisk in the vanilla. Carefully fold the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into the meringue. With a large star - shaped pastry tip, pipe a disc of meringue inside each circle. Pipe another layer around the edge to form the sides of the shells.

Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringues are dry and crisp but not browned. Turn off the heat and allow the meringues to sit in the oven for 4 hours or overnight.

Spread some of the sauce from the stewed berries on each plate. Place a meringue on top and fill with whipped cream. Top with berries and serve.

• 2 cups (1 pint) cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar, vanilla and orange liqueur and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't overbeat, or you'll end up with butter!

Yield: 4 cups

• 1 half-pint fresh blueberries
• 3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 teaspoons framboise (raspberry brandy)

Combine the blueberries, one-half pint of raspberries, 1/3 cup water, the sugar and zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. The juice will become a syrup and the berries will be slightly cooked. Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise. Set aside.

Yield: 8 servings

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa in Paris, Clarkson Potter, 2004.