Beehive Meringues -- Better Homes & Gardens

Lemon-Meringue Beehives

From: Better Homes and Gardens

Servings: 8 servings

Total: 1 hr. and 5 mins

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/ 4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/ 3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup purchased lemon curd
1 cup fresh loganberries, black berries, or other berries

Directions:

1. Let egg whites stand at room temperature in a large mixing bowl for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Using a pencil, draw eight 2-1/4-inch circles and eight 1-3/4-inch circles about 1 inch apart on the paper.* Turn paper pencil-side down on baking sheet; set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degree F.

2. Add lemon juice and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 7 minutes or until very stiff peaks form (tips stand straight) and sugar is almost dissolved.

3. Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium (1/4-inch) round tip, pipe a flat base of meringue onto all of the circles on the paper. Pipe a ring of meringue onto edges of each of the 8 larger meringue rounds, building the sides 3/4 inch tall by piping a continuous coil of meringue to form a small shell. For tops, pipe a coil of meringue on smaller rounds to make a cone shape that resembles the top of a beehive.

4. Bake in a 300 degree f oven for 30 minutes. Turn off oven. Let meringues dry in oven, with door closed, at least 1 hour. Remove dry meringues from paper. Place in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.

5. Just before serving, spoon 1 tablespoon of lemon curd into each bottom meringue shell. Place a few berries on lemon curd. Prop top of meringue beehive next to bottom. Makes 8 servings.