Kitchen Fun

One of the best things about coming home to Montana is that my mom and I get to cook and bake together all day long! And, first thing last Thursday morning, we got right to work. We planned our menus for the week and did all of our shopping. My mom is hosting a Senior Party this weekend for the graduating seniors in her ward and we needed to test a few of our recipes, so we invited some friends over for dinner last Saturday. Small dinner parties are really fun because you get to make more labor intensive dishes, that would obviously be too much for a larger party. We had Caprese Polenta Burgers--homemade burgers stacked on top of polenta discs and topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella, tomato, balsamic reduction and basil. Delicious! We also tried "Nacho Spuds" from Rachael Ray's magazine that were a hit and that we intend to mass produce for next week's party. But, my favorite part of the meal was the dessert! It was outstanding, if I do say so myself! We made a meringue topped with strawberries, fresh whipped cream infused with vanilla bean, chocolate sauce and toasted hazelnuts...oh, man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! One of the great things about cooking/baking with my mom is that things that normally intimidate me are much less scary when I have my mom to help. I've only made meringues once, and I don't remember them being very good, so I was a little nervous this time. But, with my mom by my side, I knew we could handle anything!

If you are looking for a new dessert for the summer months, you MUST try this--it will become your new fave, as it has mine! Here's what you'll need:

4 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Pinch salt

4 oz hazelnuts, skins removed

7 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 vanilla bean

strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with a sheet of waxed paper. Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk on medium until the whites form firm peaks (about 7 or 8 minutes). While your mixer still going, gradually add the sugar and pinch of salt. Turn the mixer to the highest setting and whisk for about another 5 minutes, until the meringue mixture is white and glossy. To test whether it's done, you can pinch some between your fingers--if it feels completely smooth, it's ready; if it's slightly granular, it needs more whisking.

Dot each corner of the waxed paper with the meringue, then turn it over and stick it to the baking sheet. Spoon the meringue out onto the paper and, using the back of a spoon, shape and swirl it into a rectangle. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until crisp on the outside and a little soft and sticky inside. At the same time, bake the hazelnuts on a separate sheet in the oven for 1 hour or until golden brown. Take the meringue and hazelnuts out of the oven and allow to cool.

To make the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. For a thinner sauce, add a splash of heavy cream.

Place the meringue on a serving platter. Whip the cream with the sifted powdered sugar and the vanilla seeds until it forms smooth, soft peaks. Chop the hazelnuts and sprinkle half of them over the top of the meringue. Spoon half the whipped cream over the top and drizzle with some of the chocolate sauce. Spread the strawberries evenly over the top. Pile over the rest of the whipped cream and drizzle with some more chocolate sauce, then sprinkle the remaining toasted hazelnuts over the top and serve. If you're making this in advance, get everything ready and assemble at the last minute.

Note: You could really use any combination of soft fruit and nuts that you like.

Enjoy!