Tag Archives: meringue

iDessert

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Before I was in San Diego, I did some searching through Instagram and I saw this image of these hanging meringues, that looked like stunning ornaments. After clicking through to see what they actually were, I found that they belonged to a new dessert spot called iDessert in Little Italy.

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Now, I was plenty excited about the meringues, but, it turns out, the meringues, or “Crusts”, are mainly the vessel to create your own dessert concoction. You create your dessert by iPad, choosing a number of flavors and combinations that go in the order of: Crust, Gelato, Cake, Cream/Sauce/Fruit. It’s an extremely visual and fun sounding/looking dessert. So, I’m pretty bummed I didn’t get the whole shebang, but, I just wrapped up a farmer’s market, sampling lots of goods, and then a full lunch, so, my stomach just couldn’t do the full experience (since, you need to eat it upon creation, since, you know, it’s perishable and meltable). However, I wasn’t walking out empty handed.

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I ordered one of their Crusts/Meringues, and got the Oreo. Visually, it’s so unique and fun. One way, it looks like a little dome, and flip it upside down and you have a little cup for snacks, candy, a scoop of ice cream at home, I mean, lots of possibilities. For me, I just ate it au natural. The meringue itself is crisp, but melts in your mouth. This flavor was delicately chocolate flavored, topped with crumbled Oreo cookies and drizzled with an icing of sorts. It makes for a great little light, sweet treat, without leaving you full. I mean, unless you get the full dessert, which, could be a different story. 

The Shorts:
Name: iDessert
Location: 1608 India Street, San Diego
The Long and Short: Would I go back? Yes, and next time I’ll 100% get the full dessert, even if I’m stuffed to the max.
Would I recommend it? For sure. It’s a very cool experience, where you can create your own unique dessert with lots of different components and textures. The customer service was great and the staff was very friendly, and can walk you through all the steps, since it can be a little overwhelming at first. 

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Peppermint Meringue Cookies

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Let’s get it out of the way, I love to bake. Ok, now that we’ve cleared that…I wanted to make something for the holidays that’s simple and delicious and that I could bring to a Christmas party. So, I figured that some Peppermint Meringue Cookies would be a good idea. The recipe is beyond simple, you just need a few hours to set aside for baking. But once the short sprint of making the cookies is done, you can sit back, relax, and let the oven do the rest of the work. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 cup of confectioners sugar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract or vanilla extract 
  • crushed peppermint candies 

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Then, crush up some peppermint candy (one or two candy canes should be enough). 

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Take the egg whites and beat them at a medium high speed in an electric mixer. Beat until they’re foamy. 

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Then, slowly add in about half of the sugar until the mixture forms pillowy peaks. Then, slowly add the rest of the sugar, folding it in.

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Next, transfer the meringue mixture into a pastry bag (if you don’t have that, you can use a large ziplock bag and cut the very tip of the bag for piping). On the tray, pipe out the cookies, 1.5-2 inches with about 1 inch between each cookie. 

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Then, sprinkle on the peppermint candy. Pop them in the oven for about 3 hours. After they’re finished, turn off the oven, but leave them to rest in the oven for another 45 minutes. 

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And then, let them cool for a few minutes. After that, they’re ready! 

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Recipe-friendly version:

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 cup of confectioners sugar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract or vanilla extract 
  • crushed peppermint candies 

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Then, crush up some peppermint candy (one or two candy canes should be enough). 

Take the egg whites and beat them at a medium high speed in an electric mixer. Beat until they’re foamy. 

Then, slowly add in about half of the sugar until the mixture forms pillowy peaks. Then, slowly add the rest of the sugar, folding it in.

Next, transfer the meringue mixture into a pastry bag (if you don’t have that, you can use a large ziplock bag and cut the very tip of the bag for piping). On the tray, pipe out the cookies, 1.5-2 inches with about 1 inch between each cookie. 

Then, sprinkle on the peppermint candy. Pop them in the oven for about 3 hours. After they’re finished, turn off the oven, but leave them to rest in the oven for another 45 minutes. 

And then, let them cool for a few minutes. After that, they’re ready!