Sunday Baking: The Meringue Wars Part 1

Lemon Meringue: Classic vs Modern Part 1

I've been wanting to experiment with lemon meringue for a while. So, I planned a play date for a Sunday with The Brownie Eating Monster, my gorgeous friend Ane. While we were at it, we planned a play date for the guys too- they took Ralph's toy helicopter to the park, and then arranged a scrumptious braai for us. It was a whole day of the best company, baking and cooking. My favourite kind of day.

The plan was to make two lemon meringue pies, different in their crust, filling, and topping. I wanted the first pie to be classic, so it came straight out of the Larousse. 

Lemon Meringue
From Larousse Gastronomique

Makes a 9-10 inch pie

225 g cake flour

50 g chilled butter
50 g chilled vegetable fat (Holsum in South Africa)
3 - 5 tblsp cold water

350 ml water
65 g cake flour
65 g corn flour (Maizena in South Africa)
250 g castor sugar
3 lemons, juiced and zested
4 egg yolks
25 g butter

4 egg whites
125 g caster sugar
20 g icing sugar

Shortcrust pastry:
1) Preheat oven to 200 C.
2) Put flour in a large bowl with chilled butter and fat. First use a pastry cutter, then rub in with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
3) Pour 3 tablespoons of water in, and mix with a palette knife until it all comes together. For me, I tried to keep it to that, but it was too little in the end- add a bit more if needed!
4) Form into a ball, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5) Roll out and place in the pie tin, cutting away extra bits (more neatly than I did!).

6) Now, layer some wax paper into the pie tin, and fill it with something heavy, like pie weights, rice, lentils or beans. This will help the pie crust keep it's shape. Ane did a great job with ours!

7) Bake for 10 minutes.

Lemon Filling:

1) Boil water.
2) Add the flours and castor sugar into a pot, and gradually add the boiling water.
3) Put on the heat, bring to the boil.

4) Set aside and allow to cool. Then transfer to a bain marie (double boiler).
5) Add the lemon zest and juice, egg yolks and butter, and cook over boiling water for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.

 
6) Pour into pie crust, and bake for 10 minutes- still at 200 C.

Lemon Meringue:

1) Put the egg whites into a super clean bowl, and add a pinch of salt.
2) Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks.
3) Gently fold in sugars.
4) Spread over pie (I made a couple extra- my pie dish was a little small).

5) Return to the oven for about 10 minutes, or until brown.

I got great compliments on this pie! It's much more humble than the other pie, it made me feel sophisticated and proper. It's soft and comfortable, but not over the top. Like something you would be proud to make for your mom in law. My mom in law would love this..

Rolling Over

Swiss Roll

It was one of my resolutions this year to make a Swiss roll that actually rolled rather than folded and cracked. It seems like a sad kind of resolution, one of those "just don't screw it up!" things. But it's just so sad to make a delicious cake that's.. Broken.. Sad no more though!

The wonderful thing about a Swiss roll is that it's completely fat-free. There's not a stitch of butter in there! It makes it so much easier to eat.. and eat.. and eat.

The plan was for Ralph to take that gorgeous thing to work and away from me. But he forgot on Monday, and by Tuesday it was too late, it was almost all gone..  When you have a cup of tea in your hand, a Swiss roll just seems like the logical next step, and you wonder what you've done for every other cup of tea in your life because, surely it wasn't this good?

Swiss Roll
From The Ultimate Snowflake Collection

4 extra-large eggs, separated
135 g castor sugar
50 ml water
210g cake flour
2 ml salt
castor sugar for dusting
about 100 ml apricot jam
icing sugar for dusting (optional)

1) Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2) Cream the egg yolks and castor sugar.
3) Add the water and keep beating.
4) Sift the flour and salt together. Add to the egg mixture and fold in.
5) Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add to the egg mixture and fold in using a metal spoon.
6) Grease and line a Swiss roll tin (23x32 cm). Pour the mixture into this.
7) Bake for roughly 20 minutes, but keep an eye on it and take it out when it browns.
8) While it's baking, take a damp dishcloth, lay it out flat and sprinkle it with castor sugar.
9) As soon as the roll it out of the oven, flip it straight onto the dishcloth.
10) Now, trim all the edges- this is an important part of preventing the cracks!
11) Roll it up using the damp towel and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.
12) Now, unroll it carefully, and spread with the jam.
13) Roll it up again, sprinkling with icing sugar if you would like.

Enjoy with tea, but it's also absolutely wonderful with a glass of milk!

Valentines Ideas

Valentimes Day Recipes

Valentimes is my way of splitting up Valentines Day (when you have to do something romantic on a specific day) and that day that's within a few days of Valentines Day when you have time to actually do something wonderful and romantic. Ralph and I mostly celebrate Valentimes Day :-), except when we get engaged :-).

For the non-traditionalists, here's what I made for Ralph to say I love you in the past couple of years: