Conference turris::cooks

67.0. "Meringue Imperial" by FRSBEE::THEROUX () Sun Jan 13 1985 16:49

     This is an exquisite dessert to serve for that special dinner party 
you've been wanting to have.  It takes a little preparation but the 
applause you'll will recieve afterwards will make it worth while.

                           MERINGUE IMPERIAL
 

6 Egg whites                        5 cups seedless grapes
1/8 teaspoon salt                   1 cup broken walnuts
2 cups sugar                        1 sm bag chocolate mini morsels
1 teaspoon white vinegar            30 walnut halves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream


Early on day:

1.  Start heating oven to 275o F
2.  In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites with salt 
    until stiff peaks form.  Then add sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a
    time, beating well after each addition.  Add vinegar and vanilla;
    beat well about 10 minutes.
3.  Drop meringue, by tablespoonfuls, onto wax-paperlined cookie sheets,
    making about 18 oval mounds,each 4 by 1 1/2 by 1 1/2.
4.  Bake 45 minutes; turn oven heat down to 250oFand bake 15 minutes
    longer or until delicately firm.  Remove to wire rack; cool.  Store
    in covered container or bag.l

About one hour before serving:

1.  On large cake plate arrange 5 meringues in 9-inch ring. In center,
    lay 4 meringues slightly crushed.
2.  Cover entire surface with half of whipped cream; then top with half
    of the grapes, broken walnuts, and chocolate morsels.
3.  Top with remaining meringues, making ring and crushing center ones as
    before; top with rest of whipped cream, grapes and broken walnuts, and
    chocolate morsels.  Tuck walnut halves here and there.  Refrigerate
    until served.  Makes 10 servings.

Hints:  This dessert may be assembled the night before if you take one
        package of unflavored geletin and disolve it in one large mixing
        bowl with about 2 tablespoons of boiling water.  Let the geletin 
        cool until it resembles egg whites and then proceed to whip you're
        heavy cream.  The geletin will keep the cream stiff for days in the
        frige. 

     My grandmother used to make fantastic meringue.  Instead of the nut/
fruit/chocolate, she served it simply with fruit topings or hot fudge.
It was great!

    RE .1 - Maybe she knew my grandmother. She always served her meringues
    with Ice Cream and Hot fudge. Sinfully rich and wonderful!
    
    NOTE: You need dry weather for good meriques. Humidity is fatal
    for the egg whites...