Appearances can be deceiving.
As I looked at this Barefoot Bloggers recipe, chosen for us by BMK of Reservations Not Required, I thought it was complicated and I couldn't quite imagine how it would all taste. That, plus whipped cream isn't one of the healthier foods I've been coaxing myself to in order to lose some weight. I figured I would make it and take it to work, and that would be that.
The meringues were actually quite easy (the hardest part of a meringue is separating all the eggs and without getting even a speck of egg yolk in the whites). Let's just say an almost-egg white omelette is on the menu for today. The meringues baked as I was watching the finale of Top Chef (anyone else disappointed that Carla followed Casey's suggestions, which ultimately caused her to sacrifice the authenticity that has been her strength?) and rested in the oven all night. When I woke up this morning, I had an idea to make the recipe more diet-friendly...
Fat free Greek yogurt. Yes, I made one of these babies with fat free Greek yogurt in place of the whipped cream. I added a touch of sugar and vanilla to it (I don't do alcohol, so it needed a bit more flavor). I liked the idea of the meringue and the freshness of the berries with the tangy yogurt. In fact, I liked the yogurt substitute so much I think it would be hard to beat it with whipped cream! I loved the sweet crispness of the meringue with the hint of orange in the berries and the creaminess of the yogurt. (excuse me while I get another bite).
A note about meringues. If your only experience with them is eating those big white things that resemble styrofoam from your local bakery, you really haven't experienced meringues. They are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. My first meringue experience was when I did the pastry boot camp at the CIA, and my second was last week with these cupcakes. It's an easy technique and one that is very versatile.
I urge you to make this recipe...it's very easy and so impressive on a plate. Check out what the other Barefoot Bloggers did here. If you'd like the recipe, you can find it here.
14 comments:
I can't wait to try this. I was a bad, bad Barefoot blogger in February. I'll do better in March! Yours looks so delicious -- love your modifications!
Oh how I wish I could do something like baking bootcamp!
The greek yogurt sounds amazing, I'm glad you could adapt it for your tastes.
~Cat
Your meringues chantilly looks amazing!
Using greek yogurt is a great idea!
I think my meringues ended up more like the styrofoam ones! It is sounding like I would have liked them better cooked a little less, so they are softer inside.
The yogurt sounds tasty!
Looks so good and I know it tasted great with the Greek yogurt. Great idea!
The yoghurt is a great idea - the tang would offset the sugary meringue.
Yours look fabulous! Great idea on the greek yogurt. So many fun possibilities. Glad you liked this one!
Your meringues look beautiful!
The Greek yogurt was a great idea. I still have some meringues so I am going to try it.
BTW--I was very bummed about Carla--I wanted her to win Top Chef!
i was surprised by how uncomplicated the whole to do was! the worst part was waiting for the meringues to dry!
Greek yogurt sounds like a good idea. Good for you to try staying on a good eating program. Love your blog.
Wow I certainly will have to try it !!
What a great idea to use Greek yogurt! Very creative.
The boot camp sounds cool! (and a little scary..)
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