Try Meringues: Non Fat, Gluten Free and Easy

You must be thinking what is this dietitian up to? A sugary sweet dessert featured on her blog? Here is a Registered Dietitian who talks about low sugar everything and watching your calories and says it’s ok to have a decadent dessert like this meringue? Well yes: I need a break from preaching the nutrition sermon for a month and indulge my culinary background, whose roots are very deep. I baked this goodie today and had to share it with you.

So here goes; a slice of Pavlova as it is called is 272 calories, low sodium, non fat and gluten free. Except for the whipped cream to spoon on the Pavlova slice -about a tablespoon! 4-5 berries are minimal in carbohydrate too!.  Those are the positives. The negative ,well there aren’t any due to the fact we are talking portion control which is my mantra. So forgo the pasta and potatoes at dinner for the this dessert and I give you the nutritionist blessing!

This dessert can be featured with any berries and flavorings like the Watkin’s extracts as I featured before, like vanilla, cherry or almond. Never made a meringue? well lets get started- it is very easy.

• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream whipped or canned whipped cream unsweetened.
• 1 /2 cup mashed berries
• 10 whole berries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Trace a 8 inch round dish on the back of the paper and reverse and line a cookie sheet. Beat the egg whites with the salt for 5 minutes at medium to high speed and by the tablespoon sprinkle the sugar over the egg whites and continue beating until glossy and stiff peaks form.

Add the corn starch which is sprinkled over the egg whites and blend the flavoring and lemon juice into the meringue. Mound the meringue in the center of the traced round and spread out to the sides. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 1/2 hour. Turn heat down to 180 degrees and continue baking for another 1/2 hour. turn heat off and let cool with the door slightly open until cool. Add berries, whipped cream and sauce over the meringue “cake” and crack the meringue with the back of the spoon.

You are a star!