‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ #52 Oops!...naughty me!
“Oops!...naughty Me! ”
Okay! …so last week I teased You, My Reader, with that*expectant* heading of blog number 51….
Yes! I know you were expecting to hear what my ultimate decision was, regarding the future of ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’… but of course I thought it best to wait until my 52nd week…the culmination of 1 full year of weekly Thursday fun, of stories and memories, and the occasional ‘hissy-fit’ too…
This has been a year of utter thrills and epicurean challenges, sometimes with ABSOLUTELY no idea as to what recipe next to divulge, and often those ‘recipes next ’ resulted from a whim urged-on by those glorious tastebuds of mine!
I kept my friends in a constant state of panic - just in case it was THEIR turn !!! … time for one of THEM to feature on “…‘Mavis”
And as for the colleagues in my office, they benefitted *mega !* , with never-ending samples of ‘excess delectables’…as well as acting as guinea pigs for my Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake…THREE attempts - yes 3 tries, and 3 different recipes until we all ‘were-on-the-same-page’…satisfied that THIS was the one!
- After all, I’m not perfect !
I cannot promise that I will never pop-up again with ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ , as there are constant ideas clogging-up ‘My Mind’…that very Mind that is telling me to continue writing…and cooking…..and BAKING! But, I have done “My year” of blogging, and now shall ‘sabbatical’!
It will take great restraint not to blog!
*All* my previous blogs from this past year shall remain available on the internet, yes, in cyberspace for you to return to enjoy anytime. And you can ALWAYS just “GOOGLE” www.cookingwithmavis.blogspot.com to find any particular blog.
So, this means that You’ll have 52 articles and 50 assorted recipes and a myriad of photographs to come back to, anytime…
You are welcome to send an email, while I am on “SABBATICAL”…who knows?...preparing the next series – perHAPS.
And so to recipes…
Meringue, berry & cream gateau
Cooking mentor Jeanne, taught me at an early age, the secret of making GOOD meringue:
Whilst looking over my shoulder….
“ The secret of a good meringue…”, she’d say, “…is to use 60grams castor sugar per egg white ” , and then she’d politely add, as if I had forgotten: “…Oh! - and ALWAYS remember to add the sugar, 1 Tablespoon-at-a-time, being sure to beat very well till meringue mixture is shiny, BEFORE you add your next Tablespoon of sugar! Take-your-time…take-your-time…”
And do you think I shall EVER forget that!
INGREDIENTS ;
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| THE BASICS - CASTOR SUGAR, CREAM-OF-TARTAR AND EGG WHITES |
In this recipe, I use:
6 extra-large /or BETTER ‘jumbo’ egg-whites
360g (2 cups) castor sugar (this is more fine than ordinary sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
⅛ teaspoon cream-of-tarter
½ teaspoon white vinegar
(Plus 1 extra Tablespoon sugar for luck)
PLUS :
3 tubs (750ml) fresh whipping cream
400 g (approximately) frozen or fresh berries
(I prefer the DEFROSTED frozen berries as they begin to melt, allowing the juices to trickle down the meringue )
3 Tablespoons finely grated good dark chocolate to sprinkle over.
Yield : about 70 ‘two-bite size’ meringues (2 large baking trays of 35 each)
* * Because this quantity, being 2 trays in the oven , I use the “Convection” setting of my oven, to bake, allowing the heat to disperse evenly throughout.
Due to my unconventional method used regarding the temperature, these turn out a rich creamy ivory colour, rather than insipid pale white… they are crispy on the outside….and wonderfully gooey in the centre.
METHOD :
Prepare your “mise en place” (pronounced “ miz ɑ̃ plas ” ), - It’s a French phrase… literally means: "putting in place" ….I suppose it’s the ‘pre-preparation’ ! –so have ALL your utensils and all your ingredients laid-out in front of you, measured and precise. All baking dishes ready too.
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| LAYING THE BAKING PAPER IN THE PAN |
1) Cut your baking paper to slightly longer than the baking pan, and neatly fold each end to fit the pan.
2) Lightly oil your baking pans (a few drops of oil only, to keep the baking paper in place – or alternately, secure the paper on the tray with a few blobs of meringue - (a waste, I think!)
3) Separate the egg whites, never letting ANY egg yolk spill into the eggwhites (as they won’t stiffen).
4) In a DRY clean bowl (preferably metal) beat the egg whites with the cream-of-tartar till stiff peaks.
5) Only THEN begin to add the castor sugar - 1 Tablespoon at a time (you can cheat with 1½ Tablespoons) beating after each addition, until the egg white/sugar (meringue) mixture is shiny, before adding the next spoon of sugar.
6) Towards the last amount of sugar, add the 1 teaspoon vanilla and then the ½ teaspoon vinegar, then add the last Tablespoon of sugar…and be sure to add an extra, 1 more generous Tablespoon sugar - “for luck”
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| 1/2 TEASPOON WHITE VINEGAR plus 1/8 TEASPOON CREAM-OF-TARTAR |
Placing meringues onto the baking pan:
I use 2 teaspoons, scraping a generous ‘Tablespoonplus’ of mixture from one and the other, onto the baking paper, secured onto the pan.
Form neat rows, allowing about 2cm (1 inch) between each, to allow for expansion.
I can fit 35 per pan (this is neat rows of 5 across x 7down).
NOTE: you can use a piping bag to shape the meringues if you prefer.
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| HOW TO SPOON MIXTURE TO SHAPE A MERINGUE ( 1 ) |
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| HOW TO SPOON MIXTURE TO SHAPE A MERINGUE ( 2 ) |
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| HOW TO SPOON MIXTURE TO SHAPE A MERINGUE (3) |
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| SPACING THE MERINGUES ONTO THE PAN |
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| BAKING PAN WITH 35 PRE-BAKED MERINGUES |
BAKING :
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| SAME MERINGUES - BAKED, AND COOLED, THEN OUT OF THE OVEN |
Heat oven to 180*C.
1) Put both trays into the oven, and bake for 5 minutes only at 180*C,
2) then TURN HEAT DOWN to 100*C and bake for further 1 hour.
3) After I hour, switch oven OFF, and leave in the oven till completely cool….3 plus hours…you can leave them to cool overnight, then remove. Be sure NOT to open the oven door till cool.
4) Carefully, slowly and gently lift the paper off the pan, to loosen the meringues.
5) Carefully peel each meringue off the paper.
6) Store in an AIRTIGHT container.(They will keep fresh for at least 1 week).
TO ASSEMBLE your Meringue gateau……
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| ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS's MERINGUE GATEAU |
1) Using a flat platter, spread a small amount of the whipped cream onto the platter, securing the first layer of meringues following the shape of the platter.
2) Put a few generous blobs of whipped cream on top of first layer, and place another layer of meringues, this layer to be slightly smaller, dot some of the berries onto this layer, and repeat till gateau is tall enough.
3) Dot remaining berries all over, and sprinkle with the grated chocolate!
Mmmmmm …. A MOST delicious dessert!
‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’
A concise list of ‘Mavis’s published recipes
Listed in numerical order :
Found in:
Blog #1 Just INTRODUCING “…’ MAVIS ”
blog #2 . BUTTERMILK TART .
blog #3 SEMOLINA-AND-ROSEWATER CAKE
blog #4 Jewish LEAN Chicken soup
blog #5 Artichokes in red wine and garlic
blog #6 Flaumen Tzimmis
blog #7 Butternut soup Cauliflower soup Broccoli soup
blog #8 Chicken schnitzels
blog #9 Rice pudding
blog #10 A mericanEggless Bluebery cheesecake
blog #11 DESSERT PUMPKIN PIE…
Blog #12 Ten steps to Stewed apples
blog #13 Warm beef borscht…
blog #14 Papino-and-Avo Salad …with papinoseed dressing:
blog #15 Blechkoechen ’- & cinnamon and crusty topping…
blog #16 Scones …easy
blog #17 Bread and Butter pudding
blog #18 Pork chops ‘Chunkie Abdomen
blog #19 SUMMER Pudding
blog #20 Vegetarian schmaltz
blog #21 Travel….only travel
blog #22 SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES
blog #23 Whole Orange & Almond Bundt cake
blog #24 LAMBS’ KIDNEYS – ON TOAST
blog #25 BAKED ASPARAGUS !...
blog #26 SELF-SAUCING BAKED, RICH, WARM CHOCOLATE PUDDING
blog #27 SALMON BLINTZES !
blog #28 *Pashka*
blog #29 Jello Blancmange
blog #30 ˜ REAL ROAST POTATOES ˜
blog #31 GRANNY DOLLY’ S BRAISED CHICKEN .…
blog #32 Hummus
blog #33 Old-fashioned Ginger cake
blog #34 No-fail KNEIDLACH
blog #35 HAZELNUT MERINGUE GATEAU
blog #36 THICK HEARTY VEGGIE SOUP
blog #37 Edith Wax’s Cinnamon Chocolate Cake
blog #38 A compote of Stewed Plums
blog #39 Gloriously SMOKY PEA SOUP
blog #40 “ Tapioca Brûlée ”
blog #41 LOKSHEN PUDDING
blog #42 The Countess’ Roast Chicken Soup
blog #43 “DRUNKEN ORANGES”
blog #44 Orange Chiffon
blog #45 Semolina Gnocchi
blog #46 Gooey Nutmeg cake
blog #47 POTATO KUGEL
blog #48 LEMON MOUSSE
blog #49 ‘Flourless Chocolate & Toasted-Almond torta’
blog #50 Mujaddarah
blog #51 A CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE
blog #52 MERINGUE, WHIPPED CREAM & BERRY DESSERT
This was 1 year’s worth of weekly recipes…
No doubt I will enter your world again,
in the not-too-distant-future!
Thank you for reading my indulgences!
‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’
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Exhausted!
