Easy Valentine’s Heart Meringues

By Rebecca St.Clair

These whimsical Valentine’s heart meringues are so delicate and light, and melt in your mouth with every bite. Crisp on the outside with a soft and light inside, they are perfectly balanced with a subtle sweetness, simplicity, and elegance.

Whether enjoyed with a cup of tea, a gift to someone special, or as part of a sweet dessert table, or cookie box, these cute little treats are a little bit of love in every bite.

Valentine’s heart meringues ratio

There is no hard and fast rule for the sugar to egg white ratio to make French meringue. A good rule of thumb is a 1:1 ratio of sugar and egg whites, however some recipes call for up to a 2:1 ratio of sugar and egg white.

You can adjust the amount of sugar used depending on your own sweetness preference. The more sugar used to make the meringue, the more bulk is added into the final product.

How to make extra fluffy Valentine’s heart meringues

To ensure your meringues are extra light and airy.

• Whip the egg whites first, before adding any sugar
• Add the sugar in very slowly, while constantly whipping the egg whites
• Continue to whip the meringue until all of the sugar is dissolved
• Use the meringue immediately. French meringue quickly starts to disintegrate if not use right away.

French Meringue vs. Swiss Meringues vs. Italian Meringues

All of these types of meringue are made by quickly incorporating air into egg whites and result in a soft, light, and creamy white cloud perfect for desserts. However, each type of meringue varies slightly in the way they are made.

Italian Meringue

Typically the most stable form of meringue. To make Italian meringue, sugar and water is heated until dissolved into a syrup. This is then whipped into the egg white mixture until you have a light as air consistency that also holds it’s shape.

Swiss Meringue

To make this type of meringue, a bowl is placed over a pot of simmering water. Using this indirect heat, the egg whites are mixed with sugar until dissolved. The mixture is then whipped until soft and creamy. Since the egg whites are cooked before mixing, it can be used as is.

French Meringue

This is the type of meringue that I am using for these Valentine’s heart meringue cookies today. This meringue is super simple to make and requires no heating of the ingredients first. To make this meringue, egg whites are whipped until light and foamy.

The sugar is then very slowly added into the mixture while still beating. It is then whipped until very light and holds a stiff peak. Since no heat is used in making French meringue, it should be baked before serving.

Tips for making foolproof Valentine’s heart meringues

While the process of making heart meringues is straightforward and easy, there are a few tips that will ensure the success for your Valentine’s cookies.

• Make sure you have a clean bowl and beaters. Any residue containing fat will not allow the egg whites to whip into an extra light and fluffy meringue.
• Separate the eggs into a small bowl before adding them to the mixing bowl. It is extremely important that the egg yolks do not break. This recipe uses only egg whites. The yolk from the egg contains fat and if it breaks and even a small amount gets mixed in, the meringue will not whip into a soft light-as-air cloud.
• Whip the egg whites to a soft peak before adding in the sugar.
• Add the sugar in very slowly. I use a spoon to add in the sugar instead of pouring it into the mixture. The sugar should be added in as the egg whites are being whipped.
• Continue to whip the meringue until you feel no grains of sugar. The sugar should be completely dissolved into the mixture.
• Use the meringue immediately. French meringue will start to melt and disintegrate the longer it is left out.

How to Store Valentine’s heart meringues

Room temperature

French Meringue cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Keep them sealed in an airtight container to ensure no added moisture or humidity affects the cookies.

Fridge

The fridge is not the best option for storing meringues. This will result in your cookies loosing their crunchy crispy exterior.

Freezer

These French meringue cookies can be made in advance and stored in the freezer.

• Allow the cookies to dry out and cool completely
• Place in an airtight container
• Store in the freezer for up to 1 month

How to serve Valentine’s heart meringues

There are so many great ways to dress up and decorate these Valentine’s heart meringue cookies. One of my favourites is chocolate. This list is by no means comprehensive. Just like other cookies, the sky is the limit when it comes to decorating.

Melted Chocolate

Melted chocolate can be dipped, drizzled, and sandwiched onto the cookies. Added sprinkles or small edible decorations can be sprinkles onto the melted chocolate. Once set the chocolate will solidify and the cookies can be enjoyed.

Cream

If you have had pavlova before, then you will know that creamy whipped toppings go great with meringue. This type of decoration will have to be made and served right away as the moisture will affect the baked meringue.

Chocolate or Fruit sauce

Swirled in before baking a thick chocolate or fruit sauce adds flavour and interest to your meringues.

Colour

Mixing in food colouring is a great way to add some fun and whimsy to meringues. Make sure to use a thick gel food colouring as any added liquid will affect the consistency of the meringue.

How to make Valentine’s heart meringues

Method

1. Add the egg whites to a large bowl and mix in the cream of tartar.
2. Whip this until the egg whites are soft, fluffy, and starts to hold a soft peak.
3. Add in the sugar, very slowly, while still beating. I use a spoon for this.
4. Beat in the vanilla.
5. Whip the mixture until you have a very light, creamy, and shiny meringue that holds a stiff peak.
6. Mix in food colouring if desired.

7. Preheat the oven to 225 °F or 105 °C.

8. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe into little heart shapes. (See video for further instructions) Alternatively, you can place the meringue into a large sealable freezer bag and cut a small hole in the corner to use as a piping bag.

9. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. The cookies are done when they are dried and solid.

10. Remove from the oven and cool before decorating

(optional decoration)

1. Melt chocolate either in a double boiler or in short 15 second bursts in the microwave, stirring until just melted. You can also place the chocolate in a small oven proof dish and leave in the still warm oven until just melted.
2. Drizzle, dip, or sandwich the chocolate in between the cookies.
3. Allow the chocolate to set.

Hungry for more recipes to share with your sweetheart? These are some of my favourites!

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