A beautiful baked nest of meringue is filled with sweetened whipped cream and piles of fresh fruit. The secret to this meringue is that it 's made with lots of whipped egg whites, and at the last minute, white vinegar and boiling water are whipped in.
INGREDIENTS (for 8 servings):
- 3 egg whites
- 1/3 cup super fine sugar
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups sliced fresh fruit
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with foil, and spray lightly with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to form stiff peaks. Add white sugar slowly, and continue beating. When egg whites are very stiff, add vinegar and boiling water. Continue beating until glossy surface is beginning to fade, and mixture is very stiff. Pile meringue onto prepared baking sheet. Shape into a circle 1 1/2 inches thick. Form a slight dip in the center, and make the sides slightly higher.
Place meringue in the oven, shut the door, and turn the heat off. Leave in the oven for one hour. Check the texture of the meringue; it should be hard with no soft spots. If soft in the center, heat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place meringue back into the oven, and turn off the heat. Cool when done. Transfer onto a serving platter.
Whip the cream until just stiff. Beat in vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Pile the whipped cream onto the meringue. Arrange the fruit on top of the whipped cream, and serve.