CSANews 102

Food & Drink by Shari Darling For more information on wine and food, go to www.sharidarling.com Meringue Summer Madness! Meringue desserts are light and sophisticated, and they always rise to festive, summer occasions such as outdoor family barbecues, anniversary and wedding parties. Italianmeringue is made with sugar syrup heated to 236°F to 240°F and then gradually drizzled into already formed soft meringue peaks. Its stability and smooth texture make this meringue a delicious choice for a whole array of desserts, including butter-creams and mousses. French meringue is considered the least stable until baked. However, it is certainly the easiest to prepare. Sugar is gradually beaten into egg whites a little at a time, once soft peaks have already formed. It is best to use superfine sugar or a mixture of superfine sugar and confectioners’ sugar. French meringue is usually spooned or piped into different forms, including dessert shells, such as vacherins. It is also used in cake layers and/or topped with fruit, mousse or whipping cream. French meringue can also be folded into batter for desserts, such as sponge cake and ladyfingers. If prepared with love and care, Swiss meringue can be fluffier than its French cousin and is made with the same ratio of ingredients. The secret? Warm the egg whites and sugar over a “gently simmering warm-water bath.” And don’t touch it! Patience is the secret here! When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and whip until stiff, fluffy and shiny. Use this style of meringue for cookies, Swiss butter-cream, Pavlova, and for lemon meringue pie. Sugar-free and low-glycemic versions of meringue can be successfully prepared. Doing so requires some experimentation, trial and error to get the consistency, stability and texture that you desire. Use powdered erythritol in place of white sugar in Frenchmeringue. Be sure to add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt to the mixture. In Italian versions, the sugar syrup can be replaced with maple syrup. Looking to prepare perfect meringue? Here are a few secrets: • Refrain from using aluminum bowls, as these will turn the meringue grayish in colour. • Carefully separate one egg at a time into two stainless steel bowls. This way, you can avoid a broken yolk contaminating the whole bowl of egg whites. • Crack the eggs carefully to avoid any fat or eggshell shard from going into the whites. • Use a flat surface (rather than the side of the bowl) to crack the eggs to ensure success. A bit of fat can deflate the fluffiness of the whole meringue. • Work with cold eggs, as they are easier to separate. • Once separated, let the whites stand, covered, at room temperature for about 30 minutes before beating. • Always add the sugar or syrup slowly into already formed soft peaks for most recipes (with the exception of our frozen recipe below!). • Also add flavourings sparingly and to already formed soft peaks. 42 | www.snowbirds.org

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