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Congratulations.
You just scrolled through 1.6 metres / 5.2 feet of melt-in-your-mouth crispy, light meringue, topped with whipped cream and piles of seasonal fruit, and didn’t break your screen reaching in to grab some!
Want to know how it’s made? Simple. Here’s the secret of the Never Ending Meringue:
4 tart shells – 2 ends and 2 middle pieces – baked on 2 trays. Then just glue them together with a dab of cream.
Yep, it’s as easy as that. 🙂
I promised this is easy, and in all honesty, I truly believe this to be easier to make than the Great Aussie Pav. The reason being that the Pav has height, and therefore is more delicate and has risk of collapsing during or after baking it. Also because of the marshmallow inside which sweats in hot summer weather, making the delicate dry meringue shell more fragile.
If you are determined to make a Pav in the height of summer, please please please follow my Pav recipe exactly as written. There’s nothing tricky about it, but there are very specific steps and reasons why I do things the way I do and to make a Pav in hot humid weather that comes out near perfectly crackless and is strong enough to sustain mounds of toppings.
But if you’re after a show stopper dessert that feeds loads of people that is easier to make and can be made 3+ days in advance, try this NEVER ENDING MERINGUE TART!!!
10 11 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THE NEVER ENDING MERINGUE TART
It looks fabulous
But it’s not that hard to make – doesn’t matter if you make a mess of the meringue, it’s mostly covered up with toppings!
It tastes indulgent but fresh and isn’t heavy (because meringue is mostly air!), and is far lower in calories than a slice of cake
The risk factor is lower than Pav
The tart shell can be made 3 – 5+ days in advance
It’s cost effective: 5 to 6 egg whites makes 4 tart shells, each of which are cut into 4 generous slices or 5 normal slices = 16 to 20 servings.
It can be made as long as you want!
Feeds a crowd – compared to a large round cake which will typically serve 12
Many topping options – cream, yoghurt, seasonal fresh fruit, canned fruit, stewed fruits.
This will be remembered for years to come – YOUR dessert spectacular will be the talk of the town
You watched the video and saw how I did the meringue test, and now you can’t resist making it. 😉
This is not my invention. The idea for this recipe came from the great Mary Berry, her Meringue Tranche which she made in one of her cooking shows. I just love Mary Berry. One of Britain’s most beloved cooking icons, she’s what Maggie Beer is to Aussies and Ina Garten to Americans.
I’ve adapted it to my own, making mine longer and skinnier and also reducing the cook time to keep my meringue a lovely pure white.
Make the Never Ending Meringue Tart as long as you want by making multiple batches of the middle sections. The only restriction you have is finding a surface area long enough to assemble it!!! I made this for a Christmas Party I catered for my mother last weekend. Here it is with 5 pieces, 2 metres / 6.5 feet long. I had a couple of extra pieces that wouldn’t fit on the table which I just assembled separately.
One of the things I really love about the Never Ending Meringue Tart is that it’s not too rich. Yes, meringue is sweet, but it’s light as air. Each serving you see below has about 4 tbsp of whipped cream (~1.5 tbsp of un-whipped), plus the fruit. It looks like a generous serving but it doesn’t feel heavy, meaning you (eer, I mean, your family and friends) can still indulge in dessert even after a big meal and not feel too weighed down from a super rich dessert.
But let’s be honest here. I can talk to you about all the practical pros of this Never Ending Meringue Tart. But really, it’s all about you. And how you’ll be the talk of the town for years to come, about your famous Never Ending Tart.
Shhhhh! Don’t tell anyone how easy it actually is to make!!! – Nagi xx
PS Don’t stress about cracks, piped blobs being deformed and sticking in all directions (like mine!), and how messy your meringue looks. Once the topping’s on, no one notices a anything except how amazing the whole thing looks!
PPS Update: The Christmas Trifle that was scheduled for today has now been published – here it is! The Christmas Trifle I promised for today is still coming! I promise, I just ran out of time to do both today and there was so much demand for this one. If anyone really urgently needs the Trifle before Monday evening, here’s the recipe. Full post with steps and recipe video is coming on Monday!
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Never Ending Meringue Tranche (1.6 metres / 5.2 ft)
Ingredients
Meringue:
- 180 ml / 6 oz egg whites , 5 to 6 eggs (Note 1)
- 300 g / 10 oz caster sugar (superfine sugar)
Toppings:
- 600 ml / 20 oz heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 large mangoes
- 500 g / 1 lb strawberries (2 punnets)
- 450 g / 15 oz raspberries and blueberries (mix and match, 3 Aus punnets in total together)
Optional:
- Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting (optional)
- Chopped fresh mint
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 120C/250F (standard) or 100C/210F (fan/convection).
- Mark 2 rectangles 11 x 40 cm / 4.5 x 15″ on a sheet of baking paper using pencil, with 2.5cm / 1″ between each outline. Repeat with another sheet of paper (so 4 outlines).
- Find 2 baking trays large enough so the outline fits on the tray surface when the tray is turned upside down (rim gets in way of piping).
- Fit a large piping bag with a 11mm / 0.5" round nozzle. (Ziplock: Note 2)
Meringue:
- Separate the egg whites while the eggs are fridge cold.
- Place whites in a large clean, dry bowl. Whip until it all turns into foam and there’s no liquid whites left (1 minute on speed 8 with KitchenAide).
- With the beater still going, add the sugar one heaped tablespoon at a time – about 1 minute.
- After the sugar is added, crank the beater up to speed 10 and whip for 1 minute. Fluff should be glossy and when you rub between fingers, there should be barely any sugar grit – a bit is ok.
Tart (video is helpful):
- Spoon half the meringue into piping bag (Note 3).
- Dab small amount on the corner of an upside down baking tray. Place paper on tray pencil marking side down.
- Pipe filling inside the lines – don’t worry if there are gaps (loads in my video). Use dessert spoon to smooth surface – the base should be about 1/2 cm thick (rises to ~7 mm cooked).
- Pipe blobs along one short end (to make tart ends) and all along both long sides. Do this to both on Tray 1. Place in oven.
- Repeat with remaining meringues on Tray 2, but do not pipe blobs along the short end (these will be the middle pieces). Place in oven on shelf just below Tray 1.
- Use any remaining meringue to make extra small blobs (good for repairs / decoration / nibbling). Place this tray on the floor of oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then swap the two trays (tray with blobs not a priority, leave it!).
- Bake for further 30 minutes, then turn off the oven, keep door closed and leave to cool (can keep in oven even for days). Meringue should be dry and crisp, able to lift off paper.
Assembling:
- Place cream, vanilla and sugar in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form.
- Trim joining ends of meringues with knife so they are straight.
- Dab cream on cut end and join meringues. Assemble where you plan to serve.
- Spread over cream, top with fruit, dust with sugar. Serve immediately, and puff up with pride when lavished with compliments!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
LIFE OF DOZER
Meringue test!! I take back all those times I said he contributes nothing in the kitchen. I trust my meringue beating skills but still wasn’t going to risk it – just had my hair done! 🤣
OMG. You are amazing. I have tried so many of your recipes. That always turn out great. Thanks and have a wonderful Xmas & New Year.
Cheers.
You too Sue!! N xx
And for ENCORE!
What are you bringing us for the New year? This would be so HARD to beat, hats off to you Nagi. Absolutely stupendous, such an outstanding, flabbergasting, brilliant piece of art work. The colours are so beautiful and I’m sure the texture and taste were to die for. You’re one amazing young lady that’s outshone herself here.
I will attempt this for our family Christmas lunch, but I don’t think I could make it as beautiful as you’ve done. I can only try!
Did Dozer get to lick out the cream bowl?
Hope you have a safe, healthy and a Merry Christmas with your family and friends.
I’m struggling for NYE Josephine!! I have a Smoked Salmon Appetizers recipe – well, a bunch of them – ready to go. As in, canape style. What do you think??? And as for a pristine tart, don’t let the photos fool you! My meringue was all wonky and the blobs were different sizes, sticking out in different directions etc but honestly, once the toppings are on, NO ONE NOTICES! You didn’t… 😂 Just a small cream taste test for Dozer. Once I let him have a big chunk of it and the mess that I had to deal with the next day was horrendous… SORRY if I grossed you out!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS Josephine! N xx
Smoked Salmon canapes sounds wonderful, can’t wait to see what you’ve done for them.
Hi Nagi, here in the U.S., it’s hard to find caster sugar / superfine sugar. Can I use regular sugar?
Hope to hear from you soon, making this for Christmas brunch!
Regular is fine! Will just need to beat for a bit longer, rub fluff between fingers and ensure most sugar is dissolved, bit of grit is ok!
Truly an inspired idea haha
Thanks Tania! MERRY CHRISTMAS! N x
This looks wonderful! And the VIDEO is a must watch for this one, and so helpful! had a crazy thought – It seems to me that if you didn’t have a really long table for it, and if you’re the creative sort, you could make the meringue base in different shapes . . . a wreath (could be made in quarter sections), or squiggled back and forth narrow at top and wide at bottom to make a Christmas tree, maybe even make someone’s initials ? ? ? If anyone tries different shapes, please post it!
That’s no crazy, it’s exactly right! This is basically a long tart form of those meringue nests sold at the supermarkets! N xx
This looks beautiful! When will you post the recipe for the Christmas Triffle?
Thanks!
PS Did you see the link in the post just above the recipe for the Trifle recipe?? Just the recipe which I wrote up, the full post with video and photos is coming on Monday! 🙂
Monday!! I promise! 🙂 N x
You are a Christmas miracle!! Its currently humid, hot and sticky and I volunteered to make the pav for our Christmas celebration tomorrow. I was quietly crying on the inside until I opened my emails this morning.
Thank you Santa Nagi (and Dozer) x
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!! N xx
A lot of Christmas prep IS work – now to me this is pure fun and a lot of laughter and practicing curtsies and bows one inevitably needs when it is served!! Good’on’ya 🙂 !!!
I think I may have curtsied when I tabled this….😂
Hi Nagi
I’m so making this! But there will only be four of us – do I just halve the recipe?
Hi Vanessa! Yup, use the slider on the Servings (click and slide) then reduce until it calls for half the egg whites 🙂 N xx
Yes! Halve it! That’s what I did when I first made it to test it out 🙂 Just keep an eye on the colour from about 60 minutes, it will probably be ok because the temp is so low but just make sure it’s still white. N x
Wow can’t wait to try this showstopping dessert.
Thanks for the effort of recreating for everyone.
Merry Christmas to you and yours hopefully you create some more amazing recipes in your down time – just don’t tell us about them or we will expect more details 😉😊
Ba ha ha!!! I know I know, but I LOVED that so many people wanted it!! N xx
Yay! Thanks for posting the recipe and video. What a showstopper, can’t wait to make it and then to see the reaction of people when they see it. Cathy
You’ll be a HERO!!! 😂
Oh Nagi! There I was, wondering if I dare try another Pav for Christmas (not having had the best track record) when you posted THIS . It’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve seen in years, and your wonderfully detailed instructions make it sound foolproof. My version will definitely be gracing the Christmas table here in Queensland, Thank you !
QLD summer is hard for Pav!! I do hope you love this one Sheila!! N xx
Ha, haa having test run on Dozer. Looks good, yum, yum pigs bum,… My secret Not into Pavlova never HONOSLY not sure if I had twice in my life. But yours if you turn upside down is bigger than ME, Haaa, hoo.enjoy your pav and w/ end, be nice to Dozer.
The tart is slightly TALLER than ME!!!😂
Oh wow! This is a showstopper of a dessert. Love it!
Thanks Lisa! N x
oh my………..this is absolutely gorgeous!
I’m also quite taken with the picture of what I’ll call the “appetizer boats”. They look wonderful. Please describe what all you put in them.
I’ll have to ask my mother! She put them together!!!
thanks Nagi!!!!!! Please tell your mother I think they look perfect for a party.
HI Jude! Here you go, mark ups on the photo! https://discountspot.info/tachyon/2017/12/Antipasto-Boats-Mums-Christmas-Party-2017.jpg%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Gosh Nagi, thanks!!! I didn’t mean for you to go to all this trouble.
To be honest, they weren’t that popular! I think they were too difficult for people to hold with wine in the other hand?? 🙂
OMG I love meringue. I only needed to see the pictures to convince me that I needed to make this. I live right off the coast and have a really hard time with meringue sometimes. It’s nice and dry out right now though, so it’s prob the perfect time to give this a try. However, I do not plan to share it.
😂
It’s definitely a showstopper!
😂
BRILLIANT!!!
😘