Blueberry Crumble Meringues

The other day while shopping I came across blueberry crumble bread, just sitting there all nonchalant next to the cinnamon raisin bread, as if it had been there all it’s life.  I admit, I gaped at it a little while.  I couldn’t believe it at first.  Blueberry Crumble Bread?  Where had this been all my life and why was I just finding out about it?

Of course I bought a loaf and of course I had eaten two slices, toasted, with a small smear of butter, before I had even finished unpacking groceries.  And it was good, it really was, but by the time I bite into slice number two, I was thinking “ha.  I could so do this better”.  

Needless to say, since then, I can not get that combination out of my head.  Brown sugar! oats! blueberries!  It will be mine!  But, seeing as I am impatient (as well as unwilling to make bread when it is flirting with triple digits outside), I had to find a more practical way.  And then, well, by golly, then I remembered my love of meringues.  I think it was meant to be.  Gah, sometimes I even surprise myself with ideas of pure perfection.

If we were dating, you totally would realize how often I have these ideas of pure perfection and you might blow this one off too, like some people did...  Because of all of my ideas of pure perfection, this is one of the very, very few I've actually ever acted on.  What?  It's just rare that the stars line up in such a way that I have an idea of pure perfection roughly around the same time that I'm actually motivated to do something besides sit on my butt and read all night.  So, it's pretty exciting when it actually does.  Even if an idea of pure perfection works out to be an actuality of slightly less than perfection, like these did.  These have great potential, they just aren't there yet.  Maybe a crumble isn't supposed to be a meringue... but it is very much supposed to be a bread, coming soon to an oven near me

.Blueberry Crumble Meringues
Based on Deb's Chocolate Chip Meringues

If you're a fan of previous meringues found here, don't expect these to be the exact same.  They are tasty, but are different consistency-wise.  The hollow crunch of the chocolate chip meringues is not present; rather, these guys are much more marshmallow like.  I'm thinking the moisture from the brown sugar is the cause of this, but not sure.  Just a heads up!

2 egg whites, room temp
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. dried blueberries, chopped
1/4 c. pecans, chopped
1/4 c. oatmeal

Preheat oven to 300°.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In small pan over medium heat, toast chopped pecans for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Toast oatmeal in pan until fragrant, about 1 minute, watching carefully so it doesn't burn.  Remove and set aside.

In clean mixing bowl, whip egg whites till frothy.  Add salt, baking powder and vanilla, continue to whip until egg whites hold soft peaks.  In small additions, start adding in sugar, letting mixture whip a few seconds in between each addition.  Whip until stiff.  Gently fold in blueberries, pecans and oatmeal.  Spoon batter by rounded tablespoon onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake in over for 25 minutes, till undersides are browned and tops are golden.