Meringue with Yogurt, Balsamic Reduction and Berries

It is so beautiful here in PA with the temperature going upto 80F. While I feel that Winter was not as brutal this year except for January, the arrival of Spring and Summer is always exciting.

Having grown up in the Southern Parts of India,with the notorious hot weather where temperatures can shoot up to over 100F, warm weather was not something that I looked forwarded to. I have always dreamt of the cold/Snow places until I started shoveling my driveway!!Now, the appreciation for the different seasons is much more especially Summer.

Meringues are very light, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. It is served with Yogurt cream made out of Greek yogurt and Cream served with a Berries and a drizzle of Balsamic Reduction.

A few years back, I had this dessert in a restaurant and to my surprise, I saw the recipe for that in a local magazine.It came out perfect.

Recipe: Local Gourmet magazine

8 Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cups Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean, Scraped
3 tsp Corn Starch
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

• Preheat the oven to 275F
• Whip Egg Whites with Salt until it forms stiff peaks
• Add Sugar 1 tbsp at a time until the mixture is shiny and stiff
• When half the sugar is incorporated, beat in the vanilla, cream of tartar and cornstarch
• Add the remaining sugar until all of the sugar is incorporated
• Place the mixture in the pastry bag or a Ziploc bag
• Pipe into 6 or 8 mounds, about 2 inches apart
• Place in the oven and bake till crisp, about 1 hour
  

Topping -
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
2T Balsamic Reduction
1/2 cup Mixed Berries

• Place Heavy Cream and Yogurt in a bowl and whip it to soft peaks
• Place the Meringue and top with the yogurt cream
• Spoon the fruit and drizzle the balsamic reduction around and on top
  

Balsamic Reduction -

• Place 1 cup of Balsamic Vinegar in a pan and boil it until it is reduced by half
• The Vinegar has an inherent sweet taste to it but if you would like little bit more sweetness to it, add a tablespoon sugar to it before reducing it.