Berries And Cream Cups

SCRAPS #42: tart berries, crunchy almond meringue cookies, whipped cream

If you’re looking for a simple sweet treat add this recipe to your list.

If you’re a Pavlova or Eton Mess enthusiast, this 5-ingredient recipe should be up your alley. It’s very similar to an Eton Mess: we’ve got tart, saucy, fresh berries, dollops of whipped cream and instead of the classic crumbled meringue, we have crunchy almond meringue cookies. These cookies taste like a lightly toasted marshmallow, they add a beautiful crunch to our dessert while simultaneously soaking up all of those fresh berry juices. But most importantly, they’re not as fussy and stressful to make as meringue tends to be.

When it comes to meringues, it doesn’t matter if you’ve made thousands before, you breathe the wrong way one day and they will happily collapse in front of you. You open the oven door and they will fall down. You don’t rest them for long enough and they will crack. There are SO many things that could go wrong, and when the meringue senses your fear, it’ll happily test your patience and resilience.

The addition of ground almonds makes the meringue cookie batter very similar to macarons, I often describe the process as “making macarons without any technique”. It’s fun!

Bonus, it’s kosher for Passover!

Wishing you a wonderful week & holidays!

Best,

Carolina

xx

RECIPE

Makes: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Printable Recipe Here:

BerriesAndCreamCups

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INGREDIENTS

Meringue Almond Cookies

• 4 egg whites

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 cup almond flour

Berries

• 1 1/2 pounds (675 g) fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, etc.

• 2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar to the egg whites, while whipping, in 2 batches. Add half of the sugar, whip until incorporated and repeat, beating the egg whites to stiff peaks, until glossy and sturdy.

Step 3

Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and almond flour. Using a silicone spatula, vigorously stir everything together until incorporated (no need to fold, just mix the ingredients together). Mix the batter until it goes from a fluffy stiff consistency to a loose, pourable one. Grab a dollop of the batter and pour it down in the bowl, if it’s pouring in a continuous os stream, it’s ready. 

Step 4

Pour the mixture in a piping bag. Pipe small coins on the baking sheet, leaving a little bit of space in between, about 1 cm or 1/2 inch. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they smell toasted and are brown around the sides. Set aside to cool.

Step 5

Combine the berries and sugar in a bowl, crush some of the berries and set aside to macerate.

Step 6

In the meantime, whip the cream and sugar to stiff peaks.

Step 7

Once the cookies are cooled, assemble everything in serving cups, alternating between cream, berries, and crushed cookies.