Summer Meringue Recipe

Make the dough

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9-inch square pan (or tart ring) with parchment paper leaving an overhang for easy removal. In a medium bowl whisk together 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 0.75 cups ground hazelnuts, 0.5 cup granulated sugar and 0.5 tsp fine sea salt until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut 0.5 cup cold cubed butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Add 0.25 cup softened butter, 1 egg yolk and 0.5 tsp vanilla extract and gently mix just until the dough comes together. Do not overwork.

Chill and bake

Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan to about 1/2-inch thickness. Dock lightly with a fork if desired. Chill in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes to firm up. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Remove and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, cut into 8 squares or use a round cutter for plated service. Reserve for plating.

Prepare strawberry purée

In a small saucepan combine 0.75 cup granulated sugar and 0.5 cup water. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar dissolves to make a simple syrup. Let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, purée 4 cups hulled strawberries in a blender until smooth. Pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove seeds if you prefer a smoother sorbet.

Sweeten and chill

Stir the cooled simple syrup, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice and 1 tbs light corn syrup (optional) into the strawberry purée. Taste and adjust for sweetness or acidity. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (at least 1 hour) until very cold — this improves texture when churning.

Churn and freeze

Pour the cold mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a soft-serve sorbet consistency (typically 20–30 minutes). Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze for at least 1–2 hours to firm up before plating. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, place the mixture in a shallow metal pan, freeze for 30 minutes, whisk vigorously to break crystals, and repeat every 30 minutes until smooth and scoopable (3–4 cycles).

Heat egg whites and sugar

Combine 3 room-temperature egg whites, 0.75 cup granulated sugar and 0.125 tsp fine sea salt in a metal or heatproof glass bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (double boiler), making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 160°F (70°C) on a thermometer, or feels warm and silky to the touch (about 3–5 minutes).

Whip to glossy peaks

Remove the bowl from the heat. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the warm mixture on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and the bowl has cooled to near room temperature (about 6–8 minutes). Beat in 0.5 tsp vanilla extract toward the end.

Torch to burn

Transfer the Swiss meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star or round tip, or simply dollop with a spoon. For plated service, pipe or dollop meringue onto each plate next to the shortbread and sorbet. Using a kitchen blowtorch, quickly and evenly brown the surface of the meringue until it has a richly toasted, slightly burnt appearance — move the torch continuously to avoid burning any single spot. Alternatively, place under a very hot salamander broiler for 10–30 seconds, watching closely.

Portioning: Place one piece of hazelnut shortbread on each serving plate (recipe yields 8 pieces; plan for 4–6 servings below). Use a warm ice cream scoop or spoon to place a quenelle or scoop (about 2–3 tbs) of strawberry sorbet next to the shortbread.

Meringue placement: Pipe or spoon a generous cloud of the freshly torched burnt meringue onto or beside the sorbet/shortbread. The heat of torching will create contrast between the cool sorbet and warm meringue shell.

Finish & serve: Sprinkle 0.25 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts over the plate and around the shortbread, add a few small mint leaves, and dust lightly with 1 tsp confectioners' sugar if desired. Serve immediately so the sorbet remains cold and the shortbread retains its texture.