Pomegranate meringues

I just love it when it’s pomegranate season. The beautiful colours of this sweet and tangy fruit make me feel so festive. That’s why I love to dress the little ruby seeds with a big crimson red swirled meringue. Pomegranate goes so well with orange blossom water, so I teamed these two ingredients to make a delicious syrup. Served with whipped cream and pomegranate seeds, this dessert, to quote my daughter, is the ultimate princess treat.

Ingredients:

For the meringues
6 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1 + 1/2 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp red food colouring
A pinch of fine salt
320 g/ 1 1/2 cups sugar
2 pomegranates, seeds only
350 ml/ 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Pomegranate and orange blossom water syrup:
Juice of 3 fresh pomegranates
1 1/2 tbsp orange blossom water
5 tbsp sugar

Preheat the oven to 140° C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Meringues:(makes about 5-6 meringues)

In a large glass bowl, whisk the egg whites (I use a pair of electric whisks) and salt on a high-speed until frothy – try to keep the whisk position as horizontal as possible. Add the cornflour and sugar (1-2 tbsp at a time) gradually and continue whisking. You should add the sugar in small quantities until the end of the process. When the egg whites form stiff peaks (this usually takes about 10-15 minutes), gently fold in the red food colouring, creating swirls. With the help of two large slotted spoons, spoon the egg whites onto the parchment-lined baking tray. The meringues should be about 10-12 cm large and 6 cm high. ‘Twirl’ your spoon around and finish off with a spiky peak.
Bake for about 1 hour. Switch off the oven, and leave them to cool inside the oven with the door slightly open for 15 minutes.

For the syrup:
Squeeze the juice of the 3 pomegranates. Heat in a saucepan, add orange blossom water and sugar. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer until thick and glossy. Leave to cool and set aside.

To serve:
Serve meringues with whipped cream, a handful of pomegranate seeds on top and drizzle with the pomegranate and orange blossom water syrup.

35 thoughts on “Pomegranate meringues

  1. Ohlala Mimi vous êtes un vrai chef! Vos meringues sont magnifiques! Justement mes parents ont un grenadier qui croule sous les fruits, c’est mon mari et ma fille qui vont être contents car ils sont très gourmands et grâce à vous je fais des nouvelles recettes qu’ils adorent 🙂
    Encore bravo!
    Eléonore.

  2. These look delicious! Is there any reason why you couldn’t use pomegranate juice instead of red food coloring for the swirls? Would it darken unappetizingly? Also, here’s a little video showing the Iranian-style pomegranate seeding method I use, which doesn’t involve the potential splatter of cutting the fruit in half:

    — it’s 2 minutes long.

    1. Thanks for the video! The reason why I chose food coloring is because I preferred the result. I tried both versions (with colouring & with the pomegranate juice). I found that pomegranate juice affected the texture of the meringues – they can be so sensitive! Mimi

  3. I am so envious of your dishware! Especially that platter with the insects on it! Can you tell me who makes it? Also, do you make your own orange blossom water? If so, can you share the recipe? I’m very curious. I use orange extract often, but I’m sure orange blossom water would be so much more aromatic. These meringues are gorgeous; my little princess would absolutely love your ‘princess treats’!

    1. Bonjour Rebecca! I don’t make my own orange blossom water (it requires distillation etc…) fresh bitter-orange blossom flowers. It’s like making cologne, but without alcohol. Perhaps one day I will try! ‘Eau de fleur d’oranger’, as we call it here (it’s my favourite ingredient, along with garlic and artichokes), is widely used in French cuisine (in brioche breads, pancake batter, waffles, milk, cakes, custards, madeleines etc…) so it is sold everywhere in supermarkets. Is it easy to find in the US? Regarding my dishware, most items I use for the photos have been picked up in antique stores and ‘brocantes’. The pink plate with insects is from ‘Gien’ France called ‘Paysages roses’. Otherwise I love buying glasses at Flamant, plates & candles at Astier de Villate in Paris.

  4. I tried this tonight and it was so yummy! I love the contrast between the sweet meringue and tangy pomegranate seeds. I couldn’t find any orange blossom water, so I did without the syrup. I will try to hunt some down for the next batch. Thanks!

  5. Merci Mimi pour cette recette belle de simplicite. Ma fille Julie et moi l’avons essaye ensemble avec success et Bonheur avec les fruits du jardin

  6. Made these for a dinner party last night. A HUGE hit. Even my husband, who doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, raved. Thanks so much for sharing such a great recipe.

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