Description
Ina Garten’s salted pistachio meringues offer a delightful dance of sweet and salty flavors. Light, crisp meringues adorned with crushed pistachios create an elegant dessert you’ll savor with pure culinary pleasure.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 9 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
- 3 cups (1 pound 5 ounces) superfine or caster sugar
Flavoring and Garnish:
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) shelled, roasted, salted pistachios, roughly chopped
- Fleur de sel
Finishing Ingredient:
- Fleur de sel
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F and position two racks evenly within the oven space.
- Cover a baking tray with parchment paper, distributing sugar uniformly across the surface. Create a thin, even layer that barely touches the edges, leaving a small protective border to prevent overflow. Bake for 8-10 minutes until sugar edges develop a delicate golden hue.
- Reduce oven temperature to 120°C/250°F after sugar caramelization. Simultaneously, transfer egg whites into an electric mixer with whisk attachment.
- Activate mixer on high speed, whisking egg whites until they transform into a light, frothy texture.
- Gradually incorporate the heated sugar into egg whites, initially using a large spoon, then carefully pouring the remaining sugar from the parchment paper.
- Introduce vanilla extract and continue whisking at high speed for approximately 10 minutes. Monitor the mixture until it reaches room temperature and develops a thick, glossy consistency.
- Utilize two large spoons to create six generously sized, rustic meringue dollops on each parchment-lined baking tray. Maintain adequate spacing between each meringue to accommodate potential expansion during baking.
- Liberally scatter chopped pistachios across the surface of each meringue.
- Place meringues in the oven, baking at 120°C/250°F for 1½ to 2 hours. Maintain a consistent low temperature to ensure crisp exteriors while preserving soft, marshmallow-like centers.
- After baking, delicately sprinkle fleur de sel or sea salt flakes over the meringues. Allow them to cool completely at room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Rescued from potential kitchen disasters, room-temperature egg whites whip up beautifully, giving meringues their signature cloudlike texture.
- Vigilant sugar watching prevents burning, transforming your delicate creation from golden perfection to bitter disappointment in seconds.
- Gentle sugar pouring creates silky smooth meringues, with slow streams ensuring a stable and glossy mixture that’s Instagram-worthy.
- Oven door secrecy preserves the magical rise and delicate structure, protecting your meringues from sudden temperature drops that can deflate dreams.
- Final flourish of fleur de sel sprinkled after baking guarantees a delightful salty crunch that elevates the sweet meringue experience.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of 12
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 49.4g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 1.9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 51.4g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3.6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg