meringue Archives - Page 3 of 4

Ginger Cake with Meringue

3|12|2014

Has your kitchen started to smell like Christmas? Mine has been smelling so much of spices and vanilla and brown sugar….all of the warm and nice things that go hand in hand with this time of the year. In the southern hemisphere, we don’t have a white Christmas. We are well into summer by then.Our Australian markets are flooded with the best of summer produce that allows us to be as diverse as possible with our Christmas baking and cooking. Our Pavlovas are loaded with juicy peaches and plums and raspberries and all the fresh fruits we can get our hands on. I have a few coming up for you but that does not stop me from dreaming up recipes with meringue, marzipan or nougat. My favourite bits of Christmas baking has to be the coming together of sugar and spice. Spices are a part of my heritage so popping open a container of powdered ginger or nutmeg delights me to the core. It fills up my senses with nostalgia.

I can see gingerbread recipes all over the Internet. I love so many of them especially the ones dripping with caramel sauce, white chocolate or lemon icing. I did not notice any with meringue though meringue is so perfect for Christmas. I have an individual soft spot for ginger cakes and meringue so I wanted to pair them. I was happy with the outcome. A soft, gooey spiced ginger cake with crispy sweet torched meringue. I have added a touch of ginger to the meringue as well. The cake has powdered ginger and glace ginger which gives it a bold punch of flavour.

A few weeks back I had made a rose cake for my twins birthday. It was a cake meant for a special occasion so I did not feel like cutting it open and styling it before the birthday and hence I did not post it. The rose-like appearance appealed to many so I had made a mental note to make another one along the same lines for the blog. I was excited at the idea of piping meringue roses and torching them to get the striped white-brown look. Even if you are not comfortable with piping it, spreading it on the cake like a frosting and torching will also give you a beautiful effect. I say this with conviction because at the very same time I piped this, I was covering another beauty with meringue for a Baked Alaska. You will get to see that too.

The cake itself is easy. One of the easiest I have ever made. No creaming butter or need to use a mixer. You can actually make it in a single bowl. In this case, a large saucepan maybe. The ingredient that gives the cake it’s rich brown colour and warm flavour is Treacle. If you like a good ginger cake or make a few during the year, Treacle is a great thing to have in your pantry. The intense caramel-like flavour is hard to replicate. I generally don’t replicate recipes…I try come up with my own. But this ginger cake from Good Food is a really good recipe. The only change I have made is add in a few spices. I have also provided the tentative measurements in cups for some of the ingredients that could help if you not always in the mood to weigh every little ingredient. This recipe will make a tall cake, enough to share with a a large group of people.

Ginger Cake with Meringue (cake recipe adapted with variation from Good Food)
Serves 8-10

200g butter
200g dark muscovado sugar (about 11/3 cup)
200g black treacle (about 1 1/3 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
300ml milk
350g plain flour (about 3 cups)
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
few chunks crystallised ginger/glace ginger, chopped

Meringue frosting
4 egg whites
1 cup castot sugar
cream of tartar, a pinch
powdered ginger, 1 tsp

Heat oven to 160 degreec C (140 for fan-forced). Grease and line a 19 cm round cake tin. Put the butter, sugar, treacle and syrup in a large pan and gently heat, stirring until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 mins.

Stir in the eggs and milk, then sift in the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, crystallised ginger and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well, then pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the cake is firm to the touch and springs back when pressed in the centre. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack.

Once completely cooled, frost the cake with meringue frosting. Fill up a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe roses all around the sides and top of the cake. Alternatively, spread the frosting all over the cake. Using a blowtorch, toast the meringue.

To make the meringue, place the eggwhites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl that is placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk continuously till the sugar dissolves (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and whip up the mixture with a electric or hand mixer to stiff peaks. Fold in the powdered ginger.

Chocolate Covered Lemon Meringue Truffles

6|10|2014

The best weekends for me are those that I wake up with more than one recipe in mind and run around my kitchen with chocolate on my clothes and fingers. Is there ever a thing called chocolate stain? Chocolate doesn’t stain. It’s too special. It glorifies, it dignifies..the Midas touch, perhaps?

I have had plenty of fun with chocolate recently and have come up with a few creations that make me love it all the more. This one has a double dose of chocolate. I have used white chocolate and crushed meringues (you know how much I love meringue) in the filling along with some lemon zest. To complement the sweetness and slight tangy citrus flavour, there is bittersweet dark chocolate. These truffle balls are big on flavour and texture. A complete blow-away treat that doesn’t need a lot of time or effort and they look so festive. You can use home-made meringues or store-bought. It would not really matter as you are crushing them anyway. However do make sure to crush them gently so you are left with big and small pieces. I was bit worried if they would turn out too sweet but the bittersweet dark chocolate took care of the required balance. Needless to say, using a good quality dark chocolate is important here.

I am already thinking of the holidays and cookie and truffle season. I guess, since chocolate overrides the seasons, why wait till the end of the year!
Our long weekend is still not over and I have another favourite ingredient to work with. Beetroot and chocolate!
Please excuse this short and impromptu appearance. Short and sweet! I was a bit too excited to share this treat with you.

Chocolate Covered lemon Meringue Truffles
Yields 12 medium-sized truffles

250 g white chocolate (roughly chopped)
1/3 cup thickened/heavy cream
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup meringue (home-made or store-bought), crushed
200 g good quality dark chocolate (Lindt 85% cocoa), roughly chopped
sugar flowers/sprinkles to decorate.

Place the white chocolate and cream in a medium heatproof bowl that is placed over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water over medium heat). Use a metal spoon to stir the mixture gently till the white chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth..

Carefully remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the lemon rind. Let the mixture cool down to luke warm before adding in the crushed meringue. (If the mixture starts to set before adding the meringue, put it back on the saucepan to warm up and loosen slightly). Stir to mix. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Line a tray with baking paper. Remove the lemon-meringue mixture from fridge and scoop out balls with the help of a teaspoon and then quickly and gently roll out between the palms of your hands. (You will need to do it swiftly as the warmth from your hands could melt the chocolate). Place the truffle balls on the baking paper. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and leave aside to cool slightly. Dip the lemon-meringue truffle balls in dark chocolate (allowing the excess to drip off) and place them quickly back on the tray lined with baking paper. Place the sugar flowers or coat them again in sprinkles. Refrigerate till chocolate is set.

Pavlova with Mascarpone, Pomegranate and Lemon Thyme

18|09|2014

Talk about inspiration! It peeks right through my window. It stares me in the face and then disappears on a whim. Dreamy clouds, cotton candy clouds, dark stormy clouds, invisible clouds, cloud babies (that one is a contribution from the boys) and wispy clouds. Clouds are a constant companion in my new high-rise home. I don’t know about you but I find them enchanting and magical. As a little girl, I was fond of a book called ‘The Faraway Tree’ by Enid Blyton. Most of you would have loved it as dearly as I did but in case you enjoy a bit of nostalgia, this was a story about a giant tree in the woods, inhabited by fairy-folk. The topmost branches of this tree lead up to the clouds beyond which exists magical lands. The story is about 3 children who come to live near the tree, the lands they explore and their magical adventures. I read this book over and over again, almost slept with it every night and re-read it as an adult deriving the same thrill and happiness that I felt as a child. Call me a child-at-heart. A romantic, maybe? I am fine with that.

As a person who eats, dreams and loves pastry, clouds remind me of meringue. You know I love meringue. If you share the love, type ‘meringue’ in the search tab on the right sidebar and you will find a host of meringue based treats. Just like the clouds in the sky, meringue is my mood-uplifter, my spring-in-the-step bringer, my pastry love. I can make meringue every day. And store away the egg yolks in different containers to be forgotten and only during a fridge clean to be reminded how many egg-whites I have cooked with in a month. A pavlova was long due on the blog after this one.

I went to pick up beautiful nectarines that are flooding the markets right now but came back with a pomegranate instead. On an impulse I decided to pair pomegranate, lemon thyme and mascarpone. It turned out to be a great combination of crunchy, marshmallow-y, creamy, tangy goodness. You can do so much with a Pavlova. Load it up as you like, shape it into the shapes of your dream without a cake pan for support and crack open its exterior to discover secrets inside.
If you don’t have mascarpone, you can use double the amount of whipped cream and of course, decorate it with any fruit of your choice. This is a great gluten-free alternative to a celebration cake.

Pavlova with Mascarpone, Pomegranate and Lemon Thyme
Serves 6-8

11/2 cups castor sugar
11/2 teaspoons corn flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 large egg whites (or 6 regular egg whites)
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
2 tbsp. icing sugar
1 pomegranate, seeds removed
a few sprigs, lemon thyme
Berry Sauce, 2 tbsp. (optional)

Preheat oven to 130 degree C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Draw a 20cm (diameter) round on the paper and place the paper pencil side down on the tray.

Combine sugar, corn flour and cinnamon in a bowl.

Using electric beaters, whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until firm peaks form. Gradually add the sugar mixture, 1 tablespoonful at a time, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks. Spoon the meringue onto the prepared tray within the circle traced earlier. Shape the meringue with the back of the spoon, leaving a hollow in the centre for the filling. Bake for 1 hour, then leave to cool in switched-off oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Combine cream, mascarpone and icing sugar in a bowl. Stir gently to combine (do not over-mix, or mascarpone will curdle). Gently fold in half the pomegranate seeds and torn lemon thyme leaves. Spoon mixture onto the meringue shell. Sprinkle with rest of the pomegranates and lemon thyme leaves. Top with berry sauce if using. Serve.

Irish Cream Layered Pavlova

11|03|2014

There is something magical about egg whites. They can transform from a tiny fluid into something magnificent. Capable of existing in different textures, there are innumerable ways in which they can be used. They have the ability to create cakes and baked treats without the presence of fat or even flour. As for me, I can completely lose myself to those clouds of white puff whenever I am working with egg whites. This Irish Cream Pavlova is a an amazing example of this.

I am a self confessed meringue maniac! I enjoy watching the process as they whip up….as they peak, as they create swirls and patterns with the beaters..as they burn in the most fabulous way when you torch them. I playfully stick my finger in the mixture several times and love the way a tiny peak curls down and then eventually holds up. Seriously, with a bowl of freshly whipped egg whites I feel sort of empowered. To give shape and structure to the desserts of my imagination.

I have a fair collection of meringue recipes in my blog but it hit me hard when I realised I don’t have the Pavlova. Pavlovas, big and small are made at my place like cookies at a baker’s home. Also taking pride in the fact that I belong to the land of the Pavlova. There are thousands of recipes and variations of this dessert all over the globe so I wanted to make something different…a different flavour profile and layers instead of the dome shaped dessert. With St Patrick’s Day round the corner and recipes circulating around the theme, it wasn’t difficult to imagine my Pavlova.

This dessert is actually easier than it looks. Deceptively simple with a few ingredients. The layers of meringue can be made by tracing circles on a baking paper using it as a guide to shape the meringue or inside a cake pan (which I find tricky). However, I find it easier to use the back of a cake pan (upside down). I trace out circles with the baking pans, then cut out rounds to fit the back of the pan (leaving a slight overhang). Then, I pipe or spoon the meringue over the prepared pans. That way they always remain in shape within the circle and are easier to take out.
Bailey’s Irish Cream is available pretty much everywhere today. If you are making it for a different occasion, you can experiment with Kahlua in the cream with a coffee flavoured meringue. Or for that matter any other liquor. To compliment the sweetness of the meringue and the cream, I’ve added a hint of cinnamon to the meringue. They smells amazing together.
The little flag toppers were a last minute addition while photographing the cake. I made them out of the brown cupcake liners I used for my Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins, bamboo skewers and glue. They took me less than 2 minutes but add great height to the cake and make it look celebratory.

Irish Cream Layered Pavlova
Serves 6-8

11/2 cups castor sugar
11/2 teaspoons cornflour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 large egg whites (or 6 regular egg whites)
400 ml thickened or heavy cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
4 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
Cocoa powder, to dust

Preheat oven to 140 degrees C. Line the back of three 18 cm cake pans (upside down) with baking paper, or lay three 18 cm rounds of baking paper on baking trays.

Combine sugar, cornflour and cinnamon in a bowl.

Using electric beaters, whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until firm peaks form. Gradually add the sugar mixture, 1 tablespoonful at a time, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks. Divide among pans or trays and spread over bases. Bake for 1 hour, then leave to cool in switched-off oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Whip cream, icing sugar and Baileys to stiff peaks. Place 1 layer of meringue on a cake stand and pipe (or dollop) 1/3rd of the cream. (I used a large open star tip to pipe the cream). Dust with cocoa powder. Continue layering with the remaining meringue discs, cream and cocoa powder, finishing with the cream mixture. Dust generously with cocoa or shaved chocolate or drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve immediately. The finished cake can be stored in the refrigerator for a few hours but the meringue tends to lose its texture gradually. If you are making it ahead of time, its best to assemble the cake before serving.