Fruity-Pebble Meringue Recipe from 'Milk Bar Life'

Photo: Gabriele Stabile and Mark Ibold

From Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: Milk Bar Life by Christina Tosi

Fruity-Pebble Meringues with Passion Fruit Curd
Makes about 2 dozen meringues

These sweet little things are a cheery, crisp yet somewhat chewy, rainbow-striped, bite-sized American take on Australian/New Zealand pavlova. They’re also flourless!

4 large egg whites, cold and fresh
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 cups Fruity Pebbles
Passion Fruit Curd (recipe below)

Heat the oven to 200°F.

Whip the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the salt and whisk for about 1 minute, until the salt disappears and the whites stiffen slightly. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until glossy, stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the cereal until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Pipe 1 ½-inch rounds using a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip or drop tablespoons of the mixture 2 inches apart onto greased or lined baking sheets.

Bake for 3 hours, until the meringues are completely dry. They should feel hollow and be slightly cracked. Let cool completely on the pans.

With a small spoon or the tip of a knife, hollow out the bottom of each meringue and pipe or spoon in passion fruit curd until it begins to creep out of the bottom. Serve, or store right side up in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Passion Fruit Curd
Makes about ¾ cup

Passion fruit curd is by far my favorite thing to eat with a spoon. Or layer into a cake, scoop into a pie shell, or stuff into meringues. Making a small batch of this liquid gold in the microwave is a cinch. If you are without microwave, poor you, cook the mixture in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, gently bringing it to a boil.

1 large egg
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup passion fruit purée (found online and in Latin supermarkets)
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Whisk together the egg, sugar, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the passion fruit puree and butter and whisk until completely smooth.

Microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, for  3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is thick and custard-like. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until set, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

More quirky cookies to love:

Matcha swirl shortbread cookies

Tosi’s Compost cookie recipe

Vegan chocolate chip cookie dough balls