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.
