Beehive Meringues with Honey Crème Anglaise

These meringue cookies are the perfect addition to a holiday table. They are a great festive dessert to end the meal. We love them for Easter Celebrations, Spring Weddings and Bridesmaid’s Luncheons.

Beehive Meringues with Honey Crème Anglaise
(toasted meringues + honey custard sauce)

Serves 18

What You Need:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped
1/3 cup Savannah Bee Company Honey (we used Orange Blossom Honey) 
6 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
18 round pecan shortbread cookies or use your favorite round cookie (you can also substitute a small round of pound cake)
Edible flowers or flowering herbs for garnish

What to Do:

1. Wash Up!

2. Make the honey crème anglaise: Combine the milk, cream, vanilla, and honey in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle a little of the hot milk mixture into the eggs. Gradually add the remaining milk until all is in the bowl, whisking constantly. Remove the vanilla bean. Return the milk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Transfer to a bowl in an ice bath and let cool.

3. Make the meringues: Beat the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Continue to beat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot (reaches 160°F). Transfer the mixture to a heavy-duty stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form.

4. Pipe and toast the meringues: Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe the meringue onto the cookies in concentric circles (filling them in) and layer into a beehive shape. Toast with a kitchen torch or under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

To Serve: Spoon some of the crème anglaise onto serving dishes (we like a small shallow dish). Top with the meringues. Let stand a few minutes to soften the cookie. Garnish with flowering herbs or edible flowers.

Pro Tip: You can also use round cut-outs of pound cake for the meringue bases instead of cookies if you prefer.

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