This Valentine’s Day Slimline Dessert is not only kind to your strict diet plan but also to your bank balance. I am a massive advocate of ‘cheat days’ – a little of what you love is ALWAYS good for you – but when dessert can taste this good and not count as a ‘cheat day’ I reckon that’s called being clever.
I’ve made these pretty girlie, shaped them as hearts and coloured them baby pink, but it would be just as easy to shape them as squares and colour them black for the anti-valentine singletons (or couples!) out there.
Enjoy lovers!
Ingredients for Valentine’s Day Slimline Dessert
2 egg whites
100g caster sugar
a few drops of food colouring (your choice, I used pink)
250g non fat greek yogurt (I used total 0%)
25g honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or coconut or almond)
optional fruit to serve (pomegranates, cherries, strawberries, raspberries)
3 baking sheets, lined with baking parchment.
heart cookie cutter/s (or freehand drawing if you’re confident!)
piping bag (optional)
Preheat oven to 140oC
For The Meringue
1) Once you have lined your baking sheets with parchment paper use your heart shaped cookie cutters (or your free hand skills!) to draw 4 heart shapes onto each sheet of paper. Leave a some room between each heart so they have space to grow a little. Set these aside for later.
2) In a large (preferably non plastic) bowl, chuck in your two egg whites. There are many different ways you can separate your egg from your whites, but my tried and tested favourite is this: Gently crack the shell and carefully tip the yolk to and from each shell half so the whites fall into the bowl below.
3) Once done, whisk together on a low-medium speed for about 45 seconds, you will see they begin to really froth. Once frothy crank up the speed of your whisk to medium-high and continue for about 2 mins until the whites form ‘stiff peaks’. Which basically means, if you lift the whisk out of the bowl the whites should follow and hold there form/stay up. (You can do the classic bowl over head trick and if they stay in the bowl, they’re ready…if not, start again and you’ll probably need to wash your hair).
4) For the next 5-10 mins you will add the sugar to the mixture, about 1 tbsp at a time, while continually whisking. After about 3/4 mins add in your food colouring. I wanted a baby pink so I added about 4/5 drops, but go slowly and stop when you get your desired colour. Between 6-10 mins the egg whites should look glossy and luscious, that’s when they are done and you can finally stop.
5) Now you need to make them into your heart shapes. I’m notoriously bad at ‘decorating’ so this was the easiest way I could find. I put 1/4 of the mixture into a piping bag and, using this, I followed the drawn outline of the heart shapes, then I spooned the rest of the mixture into the middle and flattened out with the back of the spoon. By all means pop all the mixture into the piping bag and pipe it all in if your heart desires!
6) Pop these in the oven for about 35-40 mins. When done, turn the oven off, open the oven door slightly and leave them to cool completely in the oven. Don’t rush this process, it takes a little while but you won’t be disappointed!
For The Fake Cream
1) In a medium bowl chuck in your yogurt, honey and essence and whisk on a high speed for at least 5 mins. Done.
To Assemble
1) Take a heart shaped meringue and smother with your fake cream (add some pomegranates or other fruit if you desire) and then pop another meringue onto the top and sandwich them together, like a macaroon. Repeat with them all and you’re done!
….and there you have your Valentine’s Day Slimline Dessert…Have a LOVEly day x
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