Friday, January 20, 2012

Delia Smith's recipe for meringues?

Please, can anyone out there provide me with the meringue recipe from her cook book, "Delia - Complete Illustrated Cookery Course" - with her on the cover wearing a red top? I just need the simple meringue recipe, in which she tells readers to bake it in a hot oven, turn it off after a while, then leave overnight for delicious chewy goodness??? I'd be very grateful! Thanks!Delia Smith's recipe for meringues?
Meringues with Summer Fruit



In the summer, soft fruit make the perfect filling for meringues, as their sharp acidity contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the meringue.



Serves 8

Ingredients



For the meringues:



2 large egg whites

4 oz (110 g) white caster sugar



For the filling:



9 oz (250 g) mascarpone

7 fl oz (200 ml) 8 per cent fat fromage frais

1 rounded dessertspoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract



For the topping:



1 lb (450 g) of strawberries or raspberries or a mixture of redcurrants, raspberries and strawberries

a little icing sugar



Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300掳F (150掳C).



You will also need a 16 x 12 inch (40 x 30 cm) baking sheet lined with silicone paper (baking parchment).







To make the meringues, place the egg whites in a large bowl and, using an electric hand whisk on a low speed, begin whisking. Continue for about 2 minutes, until the whites are foamy, then switch the speed to medium and carry on whisking for 1 more minute. Now turn the speed to high and continue whisking until the egg whites reach the stiff-peak stage. Next, whisk the sugar in on fast speed, a little at a time (about a dessertspoon), until you have a stiff and glossy mixture.



Now all you do is spoon 8 heaped dessertspoons of the mixture on to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Then, using the back of the spoon or a small palette knife, hollow out the centres. Don't worry if they are not all the same shape 鈥?random and rocky is how I would describe them. Next, pop them on the centre shelf of the oven, immediately reduce the heat to gas mark 1, 275掳F (140掳C) and leave them for 30 minutes. (For important information about gas mark 1, click here. )After that, turn the oven off and leave the meringues to dry out in the warmth of the oven until it is completely cold (usually about 4 hours) or overnight. The meringues will store well in a tin or polythene box, and will even freeze extremely well.



To assemble the meringues, whisk the filling ingredients together, spoon equal amounts into each meringue and top with equal amounts of the fruit. Then dust with icing sugar before serving. Nice made with a sauce of pur茅ed fresh raspberries sweetened with a little icing sugarDelia Smith's recipe for meringues?
These are the instructions, directly from Delia's website on how to make the basic meringue.







Delia Online: How to make meringues



This must be the most popular egg-white recipe of all, whipped with fine sugar into tall, stiff, shining peaks, then very lightly baked so that the surface is crisp and the centre is soft and chewy. The tricky bit is whisking the egg whites, but the way the meringues are cooked is important, too. The oven should be pre-heated to gas mark 2, 300掳F (150掳C) but do make sure you are not going to be using it for anything else, since the meringues stay in the oven until it is completely cold, so that they partly bake and then slowly dry out.



The eggs must be spanking fresh as this makes them easier to separate. Separate 3 large eggs, one at a time, placing each white in a cup or small bowl before adding it to the whisking bowl. This means that if an accident occurs with, say, the third egg and you break the yolk, the other two are safe.



The proportion of sugar is always 2 oz (50 g) for each egg white. So, for 3 whites weigh out 6 oz (175 g) caster sugar onto a plate and have ready a clean, grease-free tablespoon.



Switch the whisk on to a slow speed and begin whisking for about two minutes, or until everything has become bubbly (this timing will be right for 2 to 3 egg whites; you'll need slightly more time for 4, 5 or 6).



After that, switch to a medium speed for a further minute, then whisk at the highest speed and continue whisking through the soft peak stage until stiff peaks are formed. The whites should be all cloudy and foamy at this stage. Another test is to look at the whites on the end of the whisk 鈥?they should form a stiff peak without falling off the whisk. It's very important not to over-whisk the whites 鈥?this will stretch the surface of the bubbles that have formed and they will burst and collapse into liquid.



Next, whisk the sugar in on fast speed, about a tablespoon at a time, until you have a stiff and glossy mixture with a satin sheen. Spoon onto baking sheets lined with silicone paper (baking parchment) ready for baking.



My own method of baking has stood the test of time and, provided your oven temperature is correct, it will never let you down. You will find the exact temperatures and timings in each individual recipe. These differ according to the size of the meringues and the degree of colour called for, but the general principle is 鈥?they go into the oven at gas mark 2, 300掳F (150掳C), the temperature is then immediately reduced to gas mark 1, 275掳F (140掳C) for the actual baking and, once baked, the oven is turned off and the meringues are left in there, undisturbed, until the oven is completely cold.

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