I'm actually more of a savoury person than sweet. I know you wouldn't think it but I'd prefer lamb meatballs and tzatziki any day over a cream cake. What I love about desserts is that they have a wow factor and are so gorgeously attractive! Cakes make brilliant gifts so this Mothers Day I made meringues for my bestest Mammy.
This aren't just any meringues though. It's the basic meringue recipe from The Ottolenghi cookbook. They're famous for their meringues. I added a swirl of fruit coulis, which makes it really special. Lots of people swear by vinegar or cornflour and there's allot of recipes for meringue out there but this one really is perfect. The meringue is crisp and sugary on the outside with a soft pillowy marshmallow centre and ripples of berry gorgeousness. Oh Heaven!
Ingredients
Makes 12 large meringues
600g caster sugar
300g egg whites (about 10)
Basically weigh as many egg whites as you want and use double that weight in sugar.
2 handfuls of mixed berries, heated in a pan with a few tablespoons of water for 5 mins then pushed through a sieve to form a smooth coulis.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Spread the sugar evenly over a large tray lined with baking parchment. place the tray in the oven for about 8 mins or until the sugar starts to dissolve at the edges.
- Beat the egg whites in a free standing mixer until slightly frothy.
- Carefully pour the hot sugar slowly onto the whisking whites. Whisk on high speed for 10 mins or until cold. The mixture should be white, glossy and hold its shape in peaks.
- Turn the oven down to 110. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper and plop large dollops of the mixture evenly spaced out onto the trays with a large spoon.
- At this stage you can swirl a teaspoon of the coulis through each meringue.
- Bake in the warm oven for 2 hours. The outside should be completely firm and the inside a little soft.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Serve with more berries and softly whipped cream. Gorgeous!
Also Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi will be doing a day course in Ballymaloe Cookery School in July. Their style of cooking is so unique and imaginative, I could eat their food all day, I can't wait!
Lilly x
Posts
I'm the same as you - love savoury stuff but that does look really delicious :o) Hope you had a lovely day x
ReplyDeleteBeautifully presented, and I have those same little reddish-pink bowls which I use for all manner of thing. And at least today, that same pretty sunshine. I have no excuse for my indolent meringue non-making.
ReplyDeleteThey look gorgeous but tell us about the plate...it is divine!
ReplyDeleteClaire
Thanks Michelle!
ReplyDeleteMise, those bowls are so handy, I usually have tealights in them. I had a major sugar headache after eating two of these, so that's a great excuse for not making them!
Claire, I got two of these plates in a second hand shop but theres no marking or stamp on the back so I don't know where they were made or anything! I always feel very fancy using them though! x
Hi Lilly
ReplyDeletethankyou so much for your lovely comments...its having such positive feedback that spurs me on ....I'm a bear a holic at the mo!
Sam xxx
Now that is one gorgeous looking meringue.
ReplyDeleteI love second hand and charity shop buys too, you come across so much that is unique.
I am drooling, seriously. wow.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mango Cheeks and Kitty Stampede! Ye both have such brilliant names! x
ReplyDeleteWow!! I was in a small rural graveyard at the weekend with my Mum and told her about the poodle basket, she was in total awe and if we hadn't been in the back end of Connemara, would have been straight in for a look. Then she began to dream of meringue and spent a good half hour discussing the merits of a brown sugar meringue. I should have posted her to you for Mother's day i think!
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! Hope you're well. I've never been to Connemara, I'm a disgrace! Hopefully this summer. Brown sugar meringues...yum! I'll have to make some!x
ReplyDelete