When talented baker, mama, and fellow Canadian blogger Fanny sent me a copy of her new debut cookbook Oh Sweet Day! A Celebration Cookbook of Edible Gifts, Party Treats and Festive Desserts to review, I could not have been more delighted! Fanny and I have been following each other on Instagram for a few years. Her IG posts torture me (in the best way hehe) with elegantly executed desserts that inevitably awaken the dessert monster inside me! So much so, I have already made two of Fanny’s recipes, not including this delectable meringue treat (which we will get to in a beat, I promise). One such recipe was her Pecan Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies which was published in the 2017 Holiday issue of the Bake From Scratch Cookie Magazine, an issue featuring cookie recipes from a handful of the most elite baking bloggers around. I made the Pecan Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies to include in my annual holiday cookie boxes for giving away, and hers turned out to be my personal favorite (by far) of the season. I was tempted to keep them all for myself.
So it is no surprise that these Blueberry Swirl Meringue Cookies were a real treat too! These little confections bake up with a crispy outer shell that yield to an airy and chewy center. The blueberry sauce adds a little depth in the form of fruity tartness, which balances nicely with the sweetness of meringue. It also makes a fantastically stunning presentation. This cookie is a great example of Fanny’s self-described approach, which is to “make simple desserts look brand new and surprising”. I think we can agree she nailed that in this creation.
Besides being gorgeous, sweet and fluffy, these meringue cookies are dairy-free, gluten-free and grain-free. Without the sliced almonds, they are nut-free as well. This means more allergen-sensitive people get to enjoy the treat too, which is always a forefront consideration when I bake treats to share with friends and family. I’ve noticed this treat is insanely popular with kids, leading me to think that these meringue cookies (nut-free version) would be particularly ideal for school bake sales and classroom parties. A nice change from the usual rice crispy squares and chocolate chip cookies, me thinks.
Besides eating them just like this, Fanny also suggests serving them with whipped cream, fresh berries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Just like a deconstructed pavlova, except in bite-size! You know I’m all about that pavlova life! Heck, you know I’m all about that sweet life!
If you are about that sweet life too, the Oh Sweet Day! A Celebration Cookbook of Edible Gifts, Party Treats and Festive Desserts cookbook is packed with 57 of Fanny’s recipes for cakes, breads, pies, tarts, cookies, cupcakes, macarons and many more. As Sarah Louise Delany famously said, “life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet”. How perfect that Fanny’s cookbook is out now to help us do just that.
Blueberry Swirl Meringue Cookies from Oh Sweet Day! Cookbook
{ gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free }
Recipe makes 20 cookies.
INGREDIENTS
For the Blueberry Sauce:
1 C blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 tbsp granulated sugar
For the Meringue Cookies:
3 large egg whites
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 C granulated sugar
Optional:
Sliced almonds
Optional for serving: whipped cream, fresh berries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar
METHOD
Prepare the Blueberry Sauce:
Cooke the blueberries and sugar on medium heat until the blueberries are soft and release their juice, about 10 minutes.
Strain the sauce. Let cool completely.
Prepare the Meringue Cookies:
Preheat oven to 225f. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites, lemon juice and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy.
Reduce speed to low and gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time.
Once all the sugar as been added, increase the speed to high and beat until firm peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Spoon about 20 balls of meringue onto the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.
Drizzle about 1/2 tsp of the cooled blueberry sauce on each meringue. Use a toothpick (or I used the tip of a tiny metal spoon) to swirl the sauce in the meringue to create your design. Top with sliced almonds if using.
Bake 80-90 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cookies in the oven for 2 hours to finish drying.
Serve all by themselves or, as Fanny suggests, with whipped cream, fresh berries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Enjoy!
xx
Blueberry Swirl Meringue Cookies recipe from Oh Sweet Day! A Celebration Cookbook, reprinted by permission of Front Table Book, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc. It is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
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