Happy Canada Day! To celebrate our home and native land I’m whipping up some strawberry swirl meringue baskets full of local, juicy, sweet strawberries.
I haven’t baked meringues in such a long time and forgot how much fun they are to make (and to eat). They are like big puffs of sugary clouds that melt in your mouth! I’m still surprised when I hear people say they don’t know what they are! And for those who have to bake gluten-free this will be your go-to summer recipe!
With the summer heat finally here, I’m looking for desserts that require less oven time. And what I love about baking meringues is I always bake them at night and ahead of time so I don’t have to worry about firing up the oven on hot days like today (30 degrees and still climbing). This way I have cute meringue baskets ready to go whenever I need to serve up a nice, light dessert. Meringues store for such a long time that you can keep these babies for up to a month, just fill and serve when the time comes.
This is one of the first times I’m not heading to the cottage for Canada Day, but it doesn’t mean I can’t pack a picnic and head to the lake in the city. I’m not too sure how well these will travel?! (stay tuned on my Instagram stories for updates).
Ingredients
I’m going ultra-simple for this summer dessert, with a sweet strawberry sauce, whipping cream and fresh strawberries piled high in my meringue baskets. Everything is swirled together to create a picturesque Canada Day treat.
All you need is 7 ingredients to make strawberry swirl meringue baskets. It’s naturally a gluten free recipe that requires no flour and the base of meringues are made with sugar and egg whites. The finer the sugar you use the better in making meringues (stay away from powdered sugar though, that’s for making a pavlova).
- Egg whites
- Instant/extra fine sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Whipping cream
- Fresh or frozen strawberries
- Lemon
- Fresh mint
Meringue Basket Toppings
What I like about meringue baskets, there aren’t any rules.. you decide how to dress them! I think I want to try a scoop of Kawartha dairy ice cream in them too.
More Ideas for your Meringue Baskets
- Chocolate sauce
- Lemon curd
- Salted caramel
- Nuts
- Berries, fruit, figs
- Jams or compotes
- Cream or ice cream
Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian Friends!
Also, Follow these Recipes
➤ FARM FRESH STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES
➤ STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE
➤ STRAWBERRY SWIRL MERINGUE BASKETS
➤ CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH STRAWBERRY SWISS MERINGUE
Strawberry Swirl Meringue Baskets
These swirled strawberry meringue baskets are light, fresh and crisp! They are the perfect size for one and are gluten free! Dress your meringues with a variety of fillings, like chocolate, ice cream, nuts, etc.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 mins
- Yield: 10–12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Australian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Meringues
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup instant (extra fine) sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling
- Whipping Cream
- Strawberry Sauce (see recipe below)
- Fresh strawberries, optional
- Fresh mint, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 230ËšF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
- Slowly and gradually add your superfine sugar, raise the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form and are glossy (approx. 5 mins.). Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Using a spatula, drop approx. 2 spoonfuls of meringue and shape into a basket. Make sure to leave lots of room between each basket for the meringues to spread.
- Place your baking sheets in the oven and bake for 1.5 hours (make sure not to open the oven door throughout baking). Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool and dry out.
- When the meringues are cool and you are ready to serve them, whip up whipping cream, add strawberry sauce and swirl together. Top with fresh mint and fresh strawberries.
Notes
Store empty meringue baskets in a dry place, preferably in a tin for up to a month.
This dessert once filled will start to soften and eventually the meringue will fall apart, make sure to eat filled meringues the day of.
See blog post for other filling options.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plain meringue basket
- Calories: 8
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 11mg
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 0.5g
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 1.6g
- Cholesterol: 0
Strawberry Sauce
A fresh and easy sauce to spruce up sundaes, pancakes, and anything your heart desires!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: Canadian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- juice from half of a lemon
- 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a large saucepan on medium heat add all ingredients together and stir occasionally. Let cook on stove top until strawberries have broken down, approx. 10 minutes.
- Let cool and transfer into a jar.
Notes
Sauce will last up to a week and half to two weeks in the fridge or two months in the freezer.
Add mint or basil to the pot for a fun strawberry twist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Tablespoon
- Calories: 15
- Sugar: 3.6g
- Sodium: 0
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 3.9g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0
FAQ’S
An undressed, plain meringue will last approx. 1 month if not longer when stored properly. Once a meringue has been filled or topped with cream, custard, fruit, etc. the sugars will start to break down and become syrupy.
Store undressed meringues in a dry, dark place for up to 1 month. Keep moisture away from meringues as this will break down the sugars. Tins work best to store meringues.
The major difference between a meringue and a pavlova is the inside texture. The meringue and the pavlova are very similar desserts. Both are baked at low temperatures to slowly dry out the desserts and are made using egg whites and sugar. But the pavlova has added ingredients like powdered sugar which creates a softer marshmallowy interior whereas the meringue is crisp the entire way through.
Yes, meringues are a gluten free dessert. They are made using egg whites and sugar and require no flour. They are usually topped with creams, custards, fruits and chocolate.
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