LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2019

Kitchen Essentials from page 104 SIMPLE MERINGUE DESSERTS LEMON MERINGUE CREAM Crumble meringues into a small wine glass or small jam jar. Top with lemon curd (store- bought or homemade), whipped creamor Greek yogurt. Garnish with some mint. CHOCOLATE MERINGUE COOKIES Make the classic mixture and pipe out small meringues. Melt chocolate and dip meringues into melted chocolate. MERINGUE JELLY ROLL Spread a pavlova-type meringue mixture (see Classic/French Meringues) into a rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Cool for an hour then roll up like a jelly- roll with a filling of your choice.

For a pie topping , spread over a lemon or other flavoured tart and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (180°C) or until slightly golden on top. To make a buttercream , beat together all the meringue mixture with ¾ lb (340 g) soft unsalted butter, cut in cubes. Continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and there are no air bubbles. Tint and flavour as required. Use to frost cakes.

3 Increase speed to high and continue to beat until egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on your beaters. When you lift the beaters, the whites should form stiff points that do not fall away. Beat in vinegar. 4 Draw a circle on parchment paper the size you want your meringue, 8 or 9 inches (20 cm to 23 cm). Spoon mixture into the circle and spread lightly with a knife or spatula. To make individual meringues, use a large oval spoon and scoop out onto parchment paper. This mix- ture will make about 8. 5 Bake for 1 hour then turn off oven and let meringues cool in the oven. They will be slightly golden and crisp. Makes one 8- or 9-inch meringue shell, or 8 meringues SWI SS MERINGUES For this meringue you heat the egg whites and sugar together and then beat. It is very stable, making it excellent for pie toppings (it does not weep) and as a major component of buttercream. 4 egg whites 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar ¼ tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar ½ tsp (2 mL) salt 1 Add water to a medium pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. In a wide metal bowl, add the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Place the bowl of egg white mixture over the pot (make sure the base does not touch the water). Whisk until just warm to the touch, about 3 to 5 minutes, and the sugar does not feel grainy. (Test with your fingers.) 2 Remove immediately and continue to beat with electric beaters until very thick and glossy, about 3 to 5 minutes. The meringues should form stiff peaks. HOW TO USE Preheat oven to 200°F (100°C). Fill a pastry bag with the mixture (use fancy tubes if you have them). The size of the tip will indicate the number of meringues you can make. Pipe meringue cookies onto parchment paper. Bake for 1½ hours or until crisp and the parchment paper peels off easily. Makes 30 to 60meringues depending on size.

ITAL IAN MERINGUES Completing the European meringue contin- gent is the Italian meringue, the most dense and stable meringue, making it perfect for that fancy meringue basket or as a base for butter- creams, especially for patisserie work. It pipes beautifully, always holding its shape.

½ cup (125 mL) water 1 cup (250 mL) sugar 4 egg whites Pinch cream of tartar 1 Preheat oven to 200°F (100°C).

2 Mix water and sugar together in a pot. Bring to boil over high heat and boil until a ther- mometer registers 240°F (115°C) or until the sugar mixture forms a soft ball on a plate when removed from the pot. Meanwhile, as the syrup is cooking, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until egg whites are a soft but thick mass. 3 Immediately pour the syrup into the egg whites and beat at high speed until the mixture is thick and glossy and has come to room tem- perature. Pipe as desired (meringue baskets, patisserie work or meringue cookies). Bake for 2 hours, turn oven off and let cool until crisp. Store in an airtight container. Makes 20 to 40 meringues depending on size HOW TO USE If you want to make buttercream , add 2 cups (500 mL) softened unsalted butter into the whipped whites, beating until incorporated. Finish with 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla essence.

CLASS IC (FRENCH) MERINGUES

These are basic meringues, easy to make and always wonderful to eat. The centre is slightly marshmallow-like and the outside is crisp. Make individually or as one 9-inch (23-cm) circle. They keep in an airtight container for a few days. To make a pavlova use the same in- gredients but beat in 2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch with the vinegar. This makes a meringue that’s softer inside. 4 egg whites ½ tsp (2 mL) salt 1 cup (250 mL) sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar or lemon juice 1 Preheat oven to 275°F (140°C). 2 Beat egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute with an electric mixer, and slowly beat in sugar.

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