A Beautiful Fantastic Eton Mess | #FoodnFlix

Bella likes things "just so"; she likes order, and is terrified by the "unpredictability of nature and flora in particular". She has a routine and it both makes her nervous and sparks something curious inside her when that routine goes off-track. Her obsessive issues stem from being abandoned as a child, and subsequently raised by ducks. Okay, not really. She was raised by nuns.

In this month's Food 'n Flix pick, This Beautiful Fantastic, Bella's tidy little solitary world changes when her somewhat grumpy older neighbor Alfie starts hounding her about the "eco-apocalypse" of a garden that she's created between their houses.

Rosewater Raspberry Meringues

When I think of bridal showers, I tend to envision pink and gauzy and dreamy.   These visions are probably more of an ideal than a reality.  Well, my reality.  There may be plenty of brides out there who get to have those kinds of showers.  I, myself, have never been to one though.  I think I've only ever been to one or two bridal showers in my lifetime.  And nobody threw me a bridal shower, so...

I'm not complaining.  Just explaining why my visions of dreamy bridal showers include flutes of bubbly pink champagne, or pretty-in-pink cocktails, or fun little pink meringue kisses like the ones I made today.

Now, it's pretty ironic, actually... the way I envision a bridal shower.  Because if I had my way (and a bridal shower), I would probably choose a bolder color palate.  Sunflower yellow.  Tangerine Orange.  Maybe even Eggplant Purple.  And why is it that my mind conjures up variations on one color, anyway?

I could plan one heck of a beautiful shower, that much I know.  But seeing as how pretty much everybody I know is already married, there probably isn't one in my near future.  That's what kids are for, aye?  By the time any of them are ready to get married, I'll have a whole fat binder full of potential themes and ideas!  Lucky them.

So yes, these little puffs of sweet air are a brilliant bridal shower addition.  But you know what?  They're also great on a Friday.  Any Friday.  Around our house, they go by a few names, and I quote: Baked Cotton Candy, Squishy Cookies, Fluffy Thingies.

Next time, I'm trying finely ground freeze-dried mango (sans rosewater), or maybe blueberries, or perhaps pineapple...

Raspberry Rosewater Meringues

Light and airy meringue kisses infused with the flavors of rosewater and raspberry.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert eggs Mothers Day Easter Valentines Day candy spring summer

Ingredients (~5 dozen)

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbs. finely ground freeze-dried raspberries
• 1/2 tsp. rosewater
• 1/4 tsp. white vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place on oven rack in the middle of your oven, and one in the upper third of your oven.

Whip the egg whites together with the salt in a super-clean bowl on high speed until soft peaks are formed. Gradually add in the sugar and raspberry powder, and continue to whip until you have stiff, shiny peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rose water and vinegar.

Transfer to a piping bag (or gallon-sized baggie with the corner snipped off) fitted with a star tip (~1/2-inch wide). Pipe 1-inch wide meringues onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch or so of space between each one.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, at this point the meringues should look dry and set. Turn off the heat, and allow them to cool completely in the oven.

Gently lift the meringues off of the parchment and store in an airtight container.

notes:

If you spray your baking sheets with cooking spray before you set the parchment on it, it will keep the parchment from sliding around. I don't usually do it, but that's just because I don't want to have to wash the pan.

The recipe that I adapted this one from used raspberry gelatin powder (instead of the ground, freeze-dried raspberries). If you can't get your hands on freeze-dried raspberries, then you could go that route...depends on your thoughts on the red dye in the gelatin.

-adapted from latin d'lite by Ingrid Hoffmann

Double-Vanilla Walnut Meringue w/ Vanilla-Sugared Cranberries {...inspired by Christmas in Connecticut}

Jeff is a man who dreams (literally) about food.  When stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean, deprived of food and water...he conjures up images of lavish spreads that he has seen in Smart Housekeeping magazine.  Those articles were written by food writer Elizabeth Lane.  Elizabeth ... the wife and mother who lives on a farm (complete with cow) in Connecticut and cooks mouthwatering meals while taking care of the homestead.  Or not.  This is what her readers and even her boss believe.  In reality,  she's a single, working girl who writes about meals made by her "uncle" Felix at the restaurant around the corner.  She'd rather wear an animal pelt than brush it.

So, you can imagine the crazy hijinks that ensue when Jeff is rescued from the raft and his nurse writes to the magazine with a special request for him to join in a traditional, family Christmas (and meal) with and cooked by Elizabeth Lane and her family.   From rocking chairs, to babies, to pancakes and chicken livers, to shot-gun weddings and falling in love...this film is full of crazy twists and turns.  Do you think Elizabeth can pull it off?

While I was thisclose to making pancakes ...and I even entertained the idea of chicken livers, goose, or a 5-course meal, I decided that I wanted to go with a dessert that I think Elizabeth would be proud to pass-off as her own.

It's actually something that "feels" like it would have been served in the 40's.  Whether or not it really would have, I can't be sure.  But the strangest thing happened to me when I took a bite.  My grandma's face popped into my head.  I don't know if it was the combination of walnuts, meringue, and whipped cream that reminded me of something she makes or has made at Christmases past (if so, I can't think of what it would be)...but something made me want to wrap up the plate and drive up to see my grandma and give her a slice.  I've actually decided that I'm going to make another one and bring it to our family get together on Christmas Eve...just so she and grandpa can try it.

It's a taste sensation, really.  Bits of strong, oily walnuts are folded inside of melt-in-your-mouth meringue and then topped with a drizzle of chocolate and a fat cloud of cool, whipped cream.  To top the whole thing off, tangy cranberries that are coated in a crust of sugar adding a tart compliment to each bite.  While it is fairly simple to make, the whole thing comes together with seeming decadence!

Double-Vanilla Walnut Meringue w/ Vanilla-Sugared Cranberries

from the kitchen of girlichef

yield: 8 servings 

Vanilla-Sugared Cranberries (yield: 2 c.):

2 c.  vanilla sugar 

2 c. water

2 c. fresh cranberries 

~1 c. vanilla superfine sugar

Meringue:

5 egg whites

3/4 c. vanilla superfine sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 c. finely chopped walnuts

To finish:

8 oz. milk chocolate

1 c. heavy cream

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cranberries (start night before):

Combine vanilla sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar just dissolves. 

Place cranberries in a medium bowl.  Pour simple syrup over cranberries and stir.  Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to overnight.

Set a strainer over a bowl to catch the simple syrup (which you can reserve and use for sweetening holiday cocktails).  Drain cranberries.

Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish.  Add cranberries in batches and roll to coat.

Transfer cranberries to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.  I use the tines of a fork to do this.  Let stand at room temperature until  completely dry, 1-2 hours. (Can be stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.)

Meringue:

Preheat oven to 250° F.  Cover the removable bottom of a 9½" springform pan with parchment, then clip it into place.  Grease sides of the pan.

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in the vanilla sugar, then add the vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  

Carefully fold in the walnuts.

Scoop into prepared pan and smooth out the surface.  Place in oven and bake for 1½ - 1¾ hours, or until the meringue is lightly golden and coming away from the sides of the pan.  Turn off the oven and prop the door open.  Allow the meringue to sit inside until it is completely cool.

To finish:

Open sides of springform pan and take meringue out.  Peel off parchment and transfer the meringue to a serving plate.

Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler and melt (or do this in the microwave).  Drizzle warm chocolate over the top of the meringue.  Let sit to cool and harden.

Whip the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form.  Scoop big clouds of the cream over the top of the meringue, leaving a slight edge so that the chocolate shows.

Scatter about half of the sugared cranberries over the whipped cream.  (Save the rest for snackin'.) Serve!

*The meringue portion of this recipe was adapted from the book Apples for Jam: A Colorful Cookbook by Tessa Kiros.

I am hosting Food 'n Flix: Christmas in Connecticut right here at girlichef this month.  You have until tomorrow (December 23rd) to send in your inspired posts☺.

I am also sharing this post with:
IHCC theme: Holiday Goodies