Strawberry Sweetheart Meringue Dessert Cups

Ready for Valentine’s Day?  Oh, don’t panic, the V-day is exactly a month from now.  But I guess being prepared is always better than rushing at the last minute, right?  That’s especially true if you’re trying something new, such as making this gorgeous and fun dessert to share with your Valentine!  Let me present to you: Strawberry Sweetheart Meringue Dessert Cups!

These gorgeous dessert cups are easier to prepare than they look.  AND, they are gorgeous?   I think strawberries and dark chocolate go hand in hand, when it comes to the ultimate dessert.  Together, I also think they are perfect ingredients for Valentine’s Day!

At the base of this Sweetheart Dessert Cup is a strawberry meringue cup, which is crispy and light.  Yet, it is slightly sweet and tart at the same time.  I covered the inside of the meringue cup with a thin layer of dark chocolate.  The dark chocolate adds a nice bitter sweet flavor while preventing moisture (from the cream) from getting into the meringue.  This way, the meringue cup stays nice and crispy.

I filled the cups with a strawberry cream, which consists of strawberry preserves for the aroma, whipping cream for the light texture, and some mascarpone cheese (Italian sweet cheese, comparable to American cream cheese) for a smooth and silky richness.   Last but not least, I garnish these cups with a strawberry in sweetheart shape and a spring of mint (please see the Youtube video above on how to easily cut the strawberries into heart shapes).  These components are similar to a pavlova, but in a dessert cup form. 

These Strawberry Sweetheart Meringue Dessert Cups will surely win your Valentine’s heart!  In my humble opinion, preparing a treat for someone is a wonderful way to show your love, don’t you agree?  I wish you all a wonderful Valentine’s Day celebration in advance.  If you don’t have a Valentine yet, you can still make this treat for your family, friends or someone you care about.   Wish you all a sweet and warm V-day.

Tools and ingredients used:

Wilton #22 Piping tip (Click here for more information)
Pastry Bag (Click here for more information)
Silpat Baking Mat (Click here for more information)
Stand Mixer (Click here for more information)
Baking Pans (Click here for more information)
Cooling Rack (Click here for more information)
Vanilla Powder (Click here for more information)
Strawberry Preserves (Click here for more information)
Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Mascarpone Cheese (Click here for more information)
Heavy Cream (Click here for more information)
Dark Chocolate (Click here for more information)
Strawberry Jell-O (Click here for more information)
Oxy-Sorb Packages to keep food dry (Click here for more information)