Fruit meringues
We have already seen how to make classic white meringues and how to replace egg whites, in those white meringues we used liquid aquafaba, read the recipe .
In this recipe we will see how to make fruit meringues.
To do this we will need fruit puree, which can be a ready-made puree of the kind you buy in the brick (which I recommend) or a homemade puree for example by blending and sifting the strawberries.
With the ready puree it is simpler especially for some types of fruit where it is difficult to obtain a nice puree (seedless, fluid, rich in color and flavour) such as passion fruit, apple, or cherries where to make a nice quantity you need tons of fruit and therefore it is also cheaper to buy it ready.
The puree used in this recipe is blackcurrant puree, so we obtain meringues with a beautiful bright pink.
By whipping and incorporating air the meringue becomes lighter and lighter so the color will never be that of the initial puree, therefore a pink puree like the strawberry one will have very very light pink meringues.
Egg white is made up of approximately 90% water and approximately 10% protein.
We use the puree instead of the watery part, now we need the protein part which will ensure that this puree is whipped up and therefore we use the powdered aquafaba. This is hydrated in the puree and then whipped like a traditional egg white, sugar is slowly added and the meringue is obtained.
Method
Preheat the static oven to 90˚.
Prepare 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Weigh the fruit puree into one bowl, the powdered aquafaba into one and the granulated sugar into another.
Pour the puree into the bowl of the mixer (you can also do it by hand with an electric whisk).
Add the aquafaba powder, mix well with the whisk to dissolve it in the puree.
Then attach the whisk to the planetary mixer and start whipping at a medium-high speed.
After a couple of minutes, when it begins to incorporate air, gradually pour in the granulated sugar, continuing to whisk.
The sugar should not be added all at once and all together, but one spoonful at a time as it is whipped.
Then continue whipping at high speed for several minutes until you obtain a shiny, aerated, stable meringue.
The meringue will be ready when it remains still and does not fall when you turn the bowl upside down, or when it remains well attached to the whisk without falling.
It will take between 5 and 10 minutes to whip it well.
Transfer the meringue into a pastry bag with a decorative tip of your choice, the one used in this recipe is a closed star no.11.
I recommend making a mini meringue spike, one in each corner, and placing the baking paper on top to ensure that the baking paper adheres well to the baking tray and prevents it from moving.
Now dress the meringues by making small spikes all of the same size. Make many small meringues until you run out of mixture.
You don't need to space them too far apart as they don't expand much during baking.
Cook, or rather dry – dry, the meringues in the oven at 90˚ for about 4 hours, with the valve open or by inserting a spoon in the door to let the humidity escape.
They can be made in a fan oven if the fan is not too powerful, but it is also fine in a static oven as long as the important thing is to put a spoon in the door to let the humidity escape.
They must be very dry and detach from the baking paper. The time varies depending on the size of the meringues.
It is important that the T is low, to avoid cracks and to prevent them from turning yellow.
Turn off the oven, open it and let them cool inside completely.
