These gems also look beautiful on the dessert table and are a huge hit. EVERY TIME. So, make your mom smile this coming up Mother's Day. Berries go hand in hand with the smooth cream, and the delightful crunch of the sweet meringue that just melts in your mouth.
Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours
Servings 50Berry Baskets
Author Valya's Taste of Home
Ingredients
10– egg whitesfrom large eggs
3cups725 g – Baker’s Sugar (or granulated sugar)
Food coloringI used Color Garden Pure Natural, made out of red beets from Natural Grocers
5cups1200 ml – Heavy Whipping Cream
1cup225 g – confectioners’ sugar
Strawberriesblueberries, and raspberries for topping
Mint for decoratingoptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 270 F (132 C). Beat egg whites and sugar on high for 10 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix again on high for 5 more minutes.
Add ½ packet of food coloring and beat for 2 – 3 minutes. The meringue will be slightly thinner than regular white meringue with the addition of natural food coloring.
Place 1 M large cupcake tip attachment inside the piping bag and fill it ¾ full with meringue.
Pipe out the baskets in a circular motion, leaving an empty space inside to form the baskets.
Use a flat Insulated Aluminum Cookie Sheet to transfer parchment paper with piped meringue baskets directly onto the oven wire racks. Bake for 7 minutes at 270 F (132 C), then reduce the heat to 200 F (90 C) and allow them to bake/dry for 1 hour and 30 minutes more. Then turn the oven off and let the meringues cool completely in the oven. (Do not open the oven door while they’re cooling as the temperature will drastically change and cause the meringue to crack). Remove from the oven and decorate them with cream and berries.
Cream Instructions:
Beat heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar for about a minute or just as soon as it becomes thick. Do not over beat.
Assembly Instructions:
Pipe cream into and over cooled meringue baskets.
Rinse fruit and dry with paper towel. Place fruit on top of the piped cream. Keep them refrigerated in the plastic box or plate uncovered for 1 hour before serving.