Frozen Meringue Cups Drizzed with Hot Chocolate Sauce

Here is a perfect dessert to prepare for Mother's Day!

These super easy, crazy delicious, melt-in-your-mouth  frozen meringue cups drizzled with warm melted chocolate sauce 

is a great way to show your mom how special she is

I have posted this recipe before, but I thought I should share it again.
First of all, this dessert is in my list of favorites. It's unbelievably delicious: a frozen and slightly melting velvety cream, covered with hot nutella sauce. It's a combination of rich and delicate handcrafted goodness, sprinkled with pieces of crispy meringues. I know ... simply irresistible :-)
This recipe is also quite easy and quick to prepare. It needs to chill and set in the freezer for at least a few hours or longer. So you can prepare it ahead of time, and store it in the freezer, ready at any time for your special occasion. I used store bought meringues this time, which make the recipe a breeze and an assured success. But if you would like to bake your own, here is the recipe for you.
The second reason I thought I should write about this recipe again is ... Mother's Day is coming up! This heart shaped dessert is the perfect way to show your mom how much you love her. And no worries, if you don't have heart shaped muffin cups, you can use round silicone ones. It's still going to taste amazing and look pretty impressive anyways!

And look down here: I have made a video recipe too! So you can see, step-by-step, exactly what I did.

Ingredients: to make 8 cups (2.5 x 2.5 in - heart shaped)                               Printable Recipe

• 10 oz (300 ml) of milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup (65 gr) of sugar
• 2 tablespoons (20 gr) of corn starch
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3.5 oz (100 gr) of meringues, about 10 (2 inches) meringues
• 4 fl oz (120 ml) of heavy whipping cream
• about three tablespoons of nutella (chocolate sauce) for decoration

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 5 hours or more inactive
Directions:
1. Start by preparing the custard cream: in a small pan warm up the milk (or place in the microwave for about 45 seconds). In another pan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, corn starch and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.

2. Add a little bit of warm milk to the egg mixture and whisk well. Add the rest of the milk, and mix until smooth again.

3. Place the pan over medium flame and mix until it reaches a slow boil. It should take about 4-5 minutes. Whisk continuously, making sure the cream doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook until it thickens, then pour the custard in a bowl and let it cool down. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for about one hour.

4. Whip the whipping cream and add to the custard. Mix by folding with a spoon until combined.

5. Crush 4 of the meringues with your hands in small pieces. Add the crushed meringues to the cream and mix.

6. Crush the rest of the meringues (6). Sprinkle the bottom of 8 heart (or round) shaped silicone mold with half of the crushed meringues.

7. Spoon the cream evenly in the 8 cups and top with the rest of the meringues.

8. Place the cups in the freezer for three hours or longer.
I suggest removing from the freezer about 30 minutes before serving. Remove the meringue cups from the mold. Warm up the nutella with two tablespoons of water in the microwave (about 30 seconds), or on a small pan.  Mix the sauce and drizzle over the meringue cups. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Meringue Cups Drizzled with Hot Chocolate Sauce

Make your Valentine's dinner special with this super easy, crazy delicious, melt-in-your-mouth

meringue cups drizzled with warm melted chocolate sauce

Today was the end of my giveaway. And the winner of a new set of silicone baking mats from Kitchen Executive Chef is ...

Tanya M.

Congratulations Tanya for your win. Please check your email to claim the prize.
Thank you all for participating. And a special thank you to Kitchen Executive Chef for providing the prize for my giveaway.

Now, let's talk about Valentine's day. It's less than a week away. Have you figure out your plans, and how you will impress your favorite person?
I'm a big believer that the thought is what counts when it comes to presents. Yes, no need for expensive gifts, especially on occasions like Valentine's day. My birthday ... well, that's a different story ;-)
The perfect present is a thoughtful gesture that makes your loved one feel special. So, how about sharing a cozy, homemade, candlelight dinner on Valentine's day? Cooking a delicious meal is a great (and inexpensive) way to show how much you care.
And this recipe is just perfect. These meringue cups are extremely easy and quick to prepare. You don't have to be a professional pastry chef to pull this off. But you have to prepare it ahead of time for the meringue cups to chill and set in the freezer. I used store bought meringues, which make this recipe a breeze. But if you would like to bake your own, here is the recipe for you.
You will be amazed by this dessert. It is to-die-for! And I'm not kidding. Every bite is filled with chilled and velvety cream, crispy and light meringue pieces, and hot, melted chocolate. It's hard to find words to describe how enticing these meringue cakes are. You will have to try!

Ingredients: to make 8 cups (2.5 x 2.5 in - heart shaped)

• 10 oz (300 ml) of milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup (65 gr) of sugar
• 2 tablespoons (20 gr) of corn starch
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3.5 oz (100 gr) of meringues, about 10 (2 inches) meringues
• 4 fl oz (120 ml) of heavy whipping cream
• about three tablespoons of nutella (or chocolate chips) for decoration

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 4 hours in the freezer
Directions:
1. Prepare the custard cream: in a small pan warm up the milk (or place in the microwave for about 45 seconds). In another pan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, corn starch and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.

2. Add a little bit of warm milk to the egg mixture and whisk well. Add the rest of the milk, and mix until smooth again.

3. Place the pan over medium flame and mix until it reaches a slow boil. Whisk continuously, making sure the cream doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook until it thickens, then pour the custard in a bowl and let it cool down. Refrigerate for about one hour.

4. Whip the whipping cream and add to the custard. Mix by folding with a spoon until combined.

5. Crush the meringues with your hands in small pieces. Add only half of the crushed meringues to the cream and mix.

6. Sprinkle the bottom of 8 heart (or round) shaped silicone mold with crushed meringues (using half of the meringues left - the rest will go on top).

7. Spoon the cream evenly in the 8 cups and top with the rest of the meringues.

8. Place the cups in the freezer for three hours or longer.
I suggest removing from the freezer 30 to 60 minutes before serving, based on how long the cups have been in the freezer, and how soft you like to eat them.
Warm up the nutella with two tablespoons of water in the microwave. 30 seconds should be enough. Mix well. You can also melt chocolate chips with a bit of water, if you prefer. Remove the meringue cups from the mold and drizzle with the hot chocolate. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Heart Shaped Mini Cakes with Pears, Ricotta Cheese over an Almond Crust

Impress your Valentine with these sweet hearts made with fresh pears and delicate ricotta cheese over a buttery almond crust. 

Made with love!

Love is in the air ... even at the dollar store :-) I was so happy to find there some colorful heart shaped silicone muffin cups.
You know I love silicone baking molds. They are so easy to use and clean, no greasing and no sticking. And even better, a set of four cups for only a dollar. Amazing, right? I had to have them. Obviously. I could not pass on such an unbelievable deal. And of course today I tried them immediately with this delicious recipe, perfect for Valentine's day.
These heart shaped cups have a buttery almond crust on the bottom, a delicate ricotta filling topped with soft and sweet pears. I love the combination of almonds with pears, intensely nutty and perfectly sweet. A match made in heaven.
Here is my step-by-step, simple recipe. A super easy way to  woo your Valentine!

Ingredients: to make 12 hearts (2.5 x 2.5 inches)
for the crust:

• 4 tablespoons (half stick, 55 gr ) of unsalted butter 
• 1 cup (100 gr) almond meal
• 1/4 cup (50 gr) of sugar 
• pinch of salt

for the filling:

• 8 oz (225 gr) ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup (65 gr) sugar
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• 1 tablespoon (10 gr) corn starch
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 can (15 oz) of pear halves (in natural pear juice, no sugar added), or 2 fresh, ripe pears

Preparation time: about 80 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or in double boiler if you prefer. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, sugar and salt. Pour the melted butter and mix until combined.

2. Press about one tablespoon of the almond mixture into the bottom of 12 heart shaped silicone muffin cups. Use a spoon or fingers to help pressing down and make a thin flat layer. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. In the meantime, blend all the ingredients for the filling with the exception of the pears, in a large bowl.

4. Pour the ricotta mixture evenly in the 12 cups, which should be filled to about 3/4 of the way.
Cut the pears into really thin slices and decorate with about 4 slices each cup, or as you like!
I used pears in a can because they are softer and will not be crunchy after baking. You can use fresh pears, just make sure they are ripe.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until set. Wait until completely cold (and I suggest refrigerate for at least 30 minutes) before removing from the mold, or the bottom crust might break. Store left overs in the refrigerator.

Happy Valentine's Day!