Pistachio and raspberry love hearts....

Pistachio and raspberry love hearts.

AValentine special. How sweet?

These wonderfully indulgent meringue hearts are sure to melt your Valentine’s heart.

They have been piped into shape; if you don’t have a piping bag, spread into heart shapes with a round-bladed knife. The meringues can be made the night before and kept in cool dry place.

 Add the cream and raspberries about 45 minutes before serving.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Finishing time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 egg white
• 50 g (2 oz) caster sugar plus 1 tablespoon
• 15 g (1/2 oz) pistachio nuts, very finely chopped
• 100 ml (31/2 fl oz) double cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 2 tablespoons sparkling white wine, optional
• 100 g (4 oz) raspberries
• 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
• 1 teaspoon lime juice

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 110°C, 225°F, gas mark half.
2. Draw 4, 8 cm (31/2 inch) heart shapes on to a piece of non-stick baking paper then use to line a baking sheet.
3. Whisk the egg white in a large bowl until stiff but still moist-looking peaks and you feel confident enough to turn the bowl upside down without the egg whites sliding out.
4. Gradually whisk in the 50 g (2 oz) sugar, a teaspoonful at a time until it has all been added then whisk for two more minutes until very thick and glossy.
5. Fold in the pistachio nuts then spoon the mixture into a piping fitted with a 1 cm (1/2 inch) plain piping tube. 
6. Pipe a border around each heart shape then fill in the centres of two of them. 
7. Use any remaining mixture to make a spare heart in case of breakages.
8. Bake for about 1 hour or until the meringues are firm and can be peeled off the paper easily, then leave to cool still on the paper.
9. When ready to serve, whisk the cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and the lime rind until just beginning to hold its shape then gradually whisk in the wine, if using, until thick once more.
10. Transfer the filled in meringue hearts to a serving plate, top with the cream then arrange the raspberries on top, adding the heart shaped frames at an angle. 
11. Warm the redcurrant jelly with the lime juice in a small bowl in the microwave for 10-20 seconds then stir until smooth. 
12. Drizzle over the raspberries just before serving.

There will be loads of Spring berries from Spain around for Valentine’s ....

Recipe and photo credit by - Seasonal Berries