posted by Carol on Dec 28
Makes about 20 - If you have an electric mixer, meringue is very easy to make but looks impressive.
posted by Carol on Nov 19
Serves 6 - 8 The mixture of chocolate and meringue works surprisingly well and it makes a glamorous looking dessert especially for the festive season.
Meringues on Cake Rack Photographic Print
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Ingredients
100g/4oz butter, melted
225g/8oz digestive biscuits (graham crackers)
50g/2oz castor (fine grained) sugar
3 egg yolks
4 tbs cornflour (cornstarch)
600ml/20 fl oz milk
100g/4oz plain (semi-sweet) chocolate
Meringue
2 egg whites
100g/4oz castor (fine grained) sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F. Line the outside of a 20cm/8 inch cake pan with a removable bottom (Springform are best) with two layers of foil to make it waterproof.
2. To make the base: crush the biscuits into crumbs then mix with the melted butter. A quick way to do both, is to put the biscuits in a food processor, then, when the biscuits have been reduced to crumbs, pour in the butter. Press the mixture evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the cake pan. Refrigerate.
3. Beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour to a smooth paste. Add a little of the milk if the mixture is too stiff.
4. Heat the remaining milk almost to boiling then slowly pour it on to the beaten egg mixture, whisking well as you do so.
5. When it is well mixed, put it in the pan again over a slow heat, whisking continuously. Do not leave it! If you do, it will thicken into lumps. Keep whisking until it does thicken then remove from the heat and whisk in the melted chocolate. Pour the mixture into the cake pan.
6. Put the cake pan in a larger roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan to a depth of about 1 to 2 inches.
7. Make the meringue by beating the egg whites into soft peaks. Beat in about 2/3 of the sugar then fold in the remainder together with the vanilla extract.
8. Spread the meringue evenly over the mixture in the cake pan, then bake for about 30 minutes or until the meringue is a lovely golden brown. This is a delicious dessert whether hot from the oven or eaten cold later.
posted by Carol on Nov 18
What a delicious change. It is a real torte, but with pears, hazelnuts and chocolate cream. This is an instant way to become the family’s favourite cook. Try it and wait for the comments! Serves 8-10.
Ingredients
Torte
6ozs, (175gr), or three quarters of a cup of granulated sugar
1 split vanilla pod
16 fl ozs (475 ml ) or 2 cups water
4 ripe pears, halved, peeled and cored
6 egg whites
10ozs (275gr) or 2 and a half cups icing sugar
6 ozs (175gr) or 1 and a quarter cups ground hazelnuts
1 tsp (5ml) of vanilla essence
2 ozs (50gr) plain (semi-sweet) chocolate, melted
Chocolate curls to decorate.
Chocolate cream
16 fl ozs (475ml) or 2 cups whipping cream.
10 ozs (275gr) plain (semi-sweet) chocolate, melted.
4 tablespoons (60ml) hazelnut flavour liqueur.
Method
1 In a large pan big enough to hold the pears in a single layer, combine the sugar, vanilla pod and water. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves
2 Reduce the heat and add the pears
3 Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until tender
4 Remove from the heat and cool
5 Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C /350 degrees F Gas mark 4
6 Draw a 9 inch (23cm) circle on two sheet of non stick baking paper and place on two baking trays
7 Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks then gradually add the icing sugar. Increase the speed and continue whisking until the mixture is soft and glossy. Gently fold in the vanilla and nuts
Carefully spoon the meringue onto the marked circles
8 Bake for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and cool in the oven
9 Slice the pear halves lengthways
10 Make the chocolate cream. Beat the cream until it form soft peaks, then fold in the melted chocolate and liqueur. Place a third of the chocolate cream into an icing bag, fitted with star nozzle (tip)
11 Spread one layer of meringue with half the remaining chocolate cream and top with half the pears
12 Pipe around the edge forming rosettes
13 Top with the second meringue and the remaining chocolate cream and pear slices. Decorate around the edge
14 Drizzle the melted chocolate over the pears and decorate with the chocolate curls
15 Chill for at least 1 hour before serving
posted by Carol on Nov 18
This special celebration meringue can be used as a delicious dessert or as a cake when the occasion demands. Makes one 8ins torte.
Meringues on Cake Rack Photographic Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
Base
4 egg whites
½ cup sugar
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour
3 ozs grated semi-sweet (plain) chocolate
Filling
1 ¾ cups heavy (double) cream
5 ozs semi-sweet (plain) chocolate
Also required:-
baking sheets
parchment paper
Ganache frosting (icing) - see below
Method
1. Prepare the bases and cream filling 24 hours before required.
2. Preheat the oven to 125F. Whisk the egg whites together with the sugar until stiff.
3. Sift the confectioner’s sugar with the cornflour and carefully fold in the mixture.
4. Blend in the chocolate.
5. Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper and draw three 8 inch circles.
6. Spoon the mixture into a round tipped pastry bag. Starting from the centre, pipe a continuous spiral to fill each circle.
7. Dry the meringues overnight, leaving the oven door slightly open. Remove frtom the parchment paper with care.
Ganache Frosting (Icing)
Soft textured icing coating
Makes 3 cups
½ cup milk
3 fl ozs cream
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
6 ½ teaspoons glucose syrup
12 ozs semi-sweet (plain) chocolate
Method
1. Mix milk, cream, sugar, water and glucose syrup into a saucepan.
2. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly. Then remove from heat.
3. Add grated or finely chopped chocolate and stir until melted totally.
4. Mix well or use a hand blender, keeping well down in the mixture.
5. Spread liberally over the cold meringues and sandwich three together carefully.
6. Decorate with grated chocolate and serve with whipped cream.
