Description
Delight in these Hazelnut Meringue Bombs, a delicate French-inspired treat featuring crisp, airy meringue studded with toasted hazelnuts, sandwiched with a luscious dulce de leche mousseline cream. Perfectly balanced between sweet crunch and creamy richness, this recipe creates elegant, melt-in-your-mouth cookies ideal for special occasions or a delightful afternoon snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 cup lightly roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup lightly roasted hazelnuts, chopped (optional, for sprinkling)
Dulce de Leche Mousseline Cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 can (3.5 oz) dulce de leche (or substitute with regular sweetened condensed milk)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Line the back of a 12in x 18in sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 225°F (107°C).
- Separate eggs: In a thoroughly cleaned and grease-free bowl, separate the egg whites from the yolks, ensuring no yolk contaminates the whites.
- Whip meringue: Add 1 cup sugar and a pinch of kosher salt to the egg whites. Whip on high speed for about 15 minutes (longer if using a handheld mixer) until thick, glossy, and pearly.
- Prepare hazelnuts: Roughly chop 1 cup lightly roasted hazelnuts finely if you plan to pipe the meringue to prevent clogging.
- Fold in nuts: Gently fold the chopped hazelnuts into the whipped meringue using a folding motion, no more than 15 strokes to maintain volume.
- Pipe or spoon meringues: Fit a pastry bag with a large French open star tip and pipe 25-30 star shapes about 1 to 1.5 inches apart on the parchment. Alternatively, spoon dollops. Optionally sprinkle with the 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake meringues: Bake at 225°F for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and let meringues cool inside the oven completely.
- Prepare custard base: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 3 egg yolks, 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Whisk in 1 1/2 Tbsp flour until integrated.
- Temper egg mixture: Heat 3/4 cup milk until boiling. Slowly add heated milk to the egg yolk mixture in small increments, whisking continuously to avoid curdling.
- Add dulce de leche: Whisk 1/4 can (3.5 oz) dulce de leche into the mixture until mostly dissolved. Cook the custard over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes past boiling to thicken. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Whip butter: Beat 8 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature on high speed for about 5 minutes until fluffy and pale, scraping bowl frequently.
- Combine custard and butter: Add custard to whipped butter in thirds, mixing gently until smooth. If curdling occurs, gently warm a third of the cream in microwave intervals and reincorporate to smooth texture.
- Chill cream: Store the dulce de leche mousseline cream in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before use.
- Assemble cookies: Pipe or spoon a generous amount of cream onto half of the meringue shells, then sandwich with the remaining shells.
- Garnish: Roll exposed cream edges in chopped hazelnuts for added texture and appearance.
- Chill and set: Refrigerate assembled meringue sandwiches covered for at least 6 hours, preferably 12-24 hours, for best flavor and texture.
- Optional finishing: Dip ends of sandwiches in melted chocolate or chocolate ganache for an elegant touch before serving.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are free from any yolk or grease to achieve perfect meringue peaks.
- Use lightly roasted hazelnuts for enhanced flavor and crunch.
- For a smoother piping experience, finely chop hazelnuts to prevent clogging.
- Cooling the meringues in the oven after baking prevents cracking from rapid temperature change.
- Dulce de leche can be substituted with sweetened condensed milk for a different flavor profile.
- Allow cream to come to room temperature before assembling to ensure smooth filling texture.
- Store finished meringues in the refrigerator tightly wrapped for several days; they improve in flavor after resting overnight.
- Use high-quality vanilla extract and unsalted butter to maximize flavor in the mousseline cream.
- Optional chocolate dip adds a luxurious finish but is not necessary for authentic flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-inspired
Keywords: hazelnut meringue, dulce de leche cream, mousseline cream, hazelnut cookies, meringue bombs, French dessert, nutty meringue, caramel cream filling
