When making lemon meringue pie, did you ever find yourself with leftover meringue? From what I hear, it’s not the uncommon. So that begs the question, what do you do with it?

Turns out, it does have a few uses. For instance, here are some favorite uses for leftover meringue:

·         MERINGUE COOKIES: These light cookies are easy to make. Pipe or dollop onto parchment paper, then bake at a low temperature (around 100°C/200°F) for about 1 to 2 hours, or until dry and crisp.

·         ETON MESS: This is a delicious dessert when mixed with berries and sweetened whipped cream. It was a favorite with Princess Diana’s boys (fun fact to know and tell at the dinner table). To make this very easy treat, simply break up baked meringues and layer with whipped cream and fresh fruit, such as berries. It’s also yummy with lemon curd folded into the whipped cream.

·         TOPPINGS: When sprinkled atop ice cream, pudding, or yogurt, baked and crushed meringue adds wonderful texture and a pleasant flavor addition.

·         MINI PAVLOVAS: A variation on Eton Mess, you just pipe or spoon 8-10 nests onto parchment paper, bake at for 60-75 minutes, then cool in the oven. Top with whipped cream and fruit.

Another nice thing about leftover meringue is its neutral flavor. It takes on flavor variations really well. You can mix in cocoa or espresso powder, vanilla and other extracts, chopped and toasted nuts before baking to create new flavors.

And you can freeze meringue both before and after baking, though the method depends on the type. Baked meringues (cookies/shells) freeze well for up to a month, while Italian or Swiss (unbaked) meringue can be frozen for up to ten months. Store in airtight, rigid containers to prevent breakage and moisture intake.

Lastly, here are a few tips for success:

·         If your meringue has deflated prior to baking, you can still bake it into a "pancake" and then use it for crumble toppings.

·         Note that meringue can get soft or gummy on humid days. To rescue soft or gummy meringue, return it to a low oven (200 to 225 degrees F) for 10–20 minutes to dry out moisture absorbed from the air.

Allow them to cool completely inside the oven with the door slightly ajar to prevent further humidity absorption. Store immediately in an airtight container, ideally with silica gel packs.

·         Lastly, because of the above-mentioned humidity issue, it’s obviously smart to time meringue-making carefully. You always want to avoid making it on highly humid or rainy days.

I’ll close with a recipe for a scrumptious and VERY unique dessert using leftover meringue. It’s gluten-free, light and delicious, and no baking skills are needed to make it! I found it on www.everythingmarina.com, and wow was this a great discovery! In fact, I’d say it’d be a great idea to actually PLAN for leftover meringue!

Meringue Roulade with Berries

Ingredients:

ROULADE
Leftover unbaked meringue
1 pinch salt
1 cup sugar (or less—this all depends on how much meringue you have left over)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (or less—this all depends on how much meringue you have left over)
1/2 to 2/3 cups sliced almonds (again, amount depends on how much meringue you have left over)
WHIPPED CREAM
2 cups heavy whipped cream cold
2 teaspoons powdered sugar sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 F

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray. The paper must overhang the tray so that you can lift it out.

To leftover meringue, add the salt, sugar, cornstarch, folding until well combined.

Spread the meringue mixture evenly with the help of a spatula over the paper. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top and put in the oven. Lower temperature to 265F (130C) and bake for 45 min.

Gently lift the meringue off the baking tray using the paper and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

Once it’s cool, place another piece of paper on top, grip firmly, and turn the meringue over. Peel the top layer of parchment paper away. Lay the meringue with the longest side going from west to east. Spread the cream evenly and top with cut strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries (or any of your favorite berries).

Using the paper, leave the edge of the meringue and roll it over into a log.

Decorate with berries and dust with powdered sugar.

To Make Whipped Cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, add cold, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract (or vanilla paste).
Whip on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.