Lemon Meringue Pie-January Daring Bakers Challenge

Lemon Meringue Pie (LMP) IS my favourite dessert. I will have it anytime, everytime if its on the menu. So when Jen, the Canadian Baker announced this month's Daring Baker challenge, I had to haul myself out of blogging semi-retirement and bake myself one of my beloved pie.

Weird how I have never attempted to make this myself. I guess I've been of the mind that if a good one could be had very easily, then why bother. LMPs are a staple at Sydney coffee shops and I am very easily pleased. If it's tangy and the meringue has a hint of a crunch, I would be appreciative.

Unfortunately, with all that's going on at home, I didn't get the chance to plan making my LMP out too well. I made it for a little get-together with friends for the Australia Day weekend. I was hoping to make tartlets and pipe the meringue on but I had to resort to just making a large pie and slather the meringue on top hoping this 'free-styling' would at least make the grade.

This pie was a bit tricky as I couldn't make it the night before the barbecue for fear of ending up with a soggy crust. As things panned out the morning of the party, I was still stirring the curd as my guests stood at the door. Oh well. Pile the curd on to the base. Have a little drink and nibbles with guests while waiting for filling to cool down. Whip up the meringue. With another glass of Chardy on hand, chat over the whirring of the stand mixer. Slap the meringue onto the crust with a palette knife (while trying to look competent in front of friends). Bung that pie into the oven. Have another drink and wish for the best....

A sad meringue. That's what I ended up with. It was so sad that it wept.
A few other Daring Bakers seemed to have had this problem. Despite following the suggestion of spreading the meringue right to the crust edge, I didn't escape the little pool of syrup that's been the bane of my fellow Daring Bakers. As for the taste? The crust was OK. It was biscuity but it would have been nice to have something a little bit more buttery, almost short-bread like. The filling was deliciously tart. The balance of sweet and sour was to my liking but there was something wrong with the consistency. It didn't cut smooth when I sliced the pie. Perhaps the 1.5 hours it sat in the fridge after baking just wasn't enough to set it properly. The meringue was well... meringue. I didn't get the crunch on the edges which I love from the LMP coffee-shop versions but my meringue top browned a little too quickly.

All in all, this pie was OK and I enjoyed the experience (albeit hurried and distracted) of making it. I would be trying other recipes, though, and try and get a better consistency for the filling.

Sorry for the lack of photos and for the poor quality of the only one I have. I had guests to entertain and by the time for dessert came around, my hands were already a little bit shaky from one glass of wine too many ;-)

Go and enjoy all the other LMPs out there by the Daring Bakers...

Hooroo!


Lemon Meringue Pie
(from "Wanda's Pie in the Sky" by Wanda Beaver)


Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:
3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

To Make the Crust:
Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.


Daring Bakers Extra Challenge: Free-Style Lemon Tartlets
(from "Ripe for Dessert" by David Lebovitz)

Prepare the recipe as above but complete the following steps:

To roll out tartlet dough, slice the dough into 6 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each circle of dough into a 5 inch disk. Stack the disks, separated by pieces of plastic wrap, on a plate, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To bake the dough, position rack in oven to the centre of oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the disks of dough, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.

To finish tartlets, first place oven rack in the upper third of the oven and increase heat to 425ºF. Divide the lemon filling equally among the disks, mounding it in the centre and leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Spoon the meringue decoratively over each tartlet, right to the edges, in dramatic swirling peaks.

Return tartlets to oven and bake for about 5 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown.

Yule Log - A Daring Bakers Challenge

From our family to yours....
MERRY CHRISTMAS

I am growing to love, love, love these Daring Baker challenges. With trepidation, I joined this daredevil group of breadmakers and cakemakers (amongst other things) in an effort to learn more about the art of baking. Boy, two challenges down and I can't count the number of 'firsts' I have had experienced in trying to meet my challenges.
The December challenge is appropriately a Yule Log or Bûche de Noel. Yes, I asked the same question. Wiki had the answer as usual and informs that a Yule Log is 'a traditional dessert served during the Christmas holidays inFrance and Quebec. As the name indicates, the cake is generally prepared, presented, and garnished so as to look like a log ready for the fire. The traditional bûche is made from a Génoise or other sponge cake, generally baked in a large, shallow jelly roll pan, frosted, rolled to form a cylinder, and frosted again on the outside.'
OK.

The recipe involves making a génoise, Swiss buttercream, marzipan -none of which I have attempted to make before.

The Christmas rush of baking , gift-buying, visiting friends, having friends over etc ., proved to be a blessing. By the time I got around to making ¨the log¨, lots of fabulous and talented Daring Bakers have already made theirs. The DB blog was inundated with tips and tricks which helped immensely. See, this is exactly what I love about the group-it's all about sharing the failures and successes with their creations and allowing everyone to learn in the process.

What with all the Christmas stress and all, I didn't think my nerves could take any more unpleasant surprises so I decided to stick to the recipe to the letter. No exotic flavour for my butter cream, no nuts thrown into the sponge batter, no fancy baubles to decorate the log with. Nevertheless, making this was a lot of fun. My sponge might have been overcooked (though I only baked it for 8mins, as opposed to 10-12mins as stated in the recipe) and the buttercream was runny and perilously split (salvaged by putting in the fridge and whisking by hand additional icing sugar)- the result was absolutely delicious. I have to say that the buttercream was the star in this recipe. I just could not get enough of the coffe and rum laden dream of an icing. This cream will be used in this household again, for sure. Hmm, I can already see it over a mocha chiffon or some dark chocolate cupcakes.

Making the marzipan was also a hoot. It was playdough for grown-up. Sadly, I've never been much good with playdough so I did not attempt to make anything fancy with the marzipan (I left that to my three-year old). I stuck with the humble mushrooms and oh, how I loved the little stumpy ones. They were so cute.

As a final touch, I just added some gum tree leaves and gum nuts for that Australian feel.

Thanks to the Dynamic Duo (and Daring bakers founders) of Ivonne (of Cream Puffs in Venice) and Lis (of La Mia Cucina) for choosing a fabulously festive challenge.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!
XO

Yule Log
(from Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri and The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert)

Plain Genoise:

3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup cake flour - spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off (also known as cake & pastry flour)
¼ cup cornstarch

one (1) 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper and then buttered again

1.Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
2.Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.
3.Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees if you have a thermometer (or test with your finger - it should be warm to the touch).
4.Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted.
5.While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour and cornstarch.
6.Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.
7.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
8.Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn’t overbake and become too dry or it will not roll properly.
9.While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.
10.Once the cake is done (a tester will come out clean and if you press the cake lightly it will spring back), remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Coffee Buttercream:

4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons rum or brandy

1.Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
2.Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.

Meringue Mushrooms:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3-1/2 ounces/105 g.) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (1-1/3 ounces/40 g.) icing sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1.Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a small (no. 6) plain tip. In a bowl, using a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until very foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar while beating. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Continue until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Sift the icing sugar over the whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold in until well blended.
2.Scoop the mixture into the bag. On one baking sheet, pipe 48 stems, each ½ inch (12 mm.) wide at the base and tapering off to a point at the top, ¾ inch (2 cm.) tall, and spaced about ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. On the other sheet, pipe 48 mounds for the tops, each about 1-1/4 inches (3 cm.) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm.) high, also spaced ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. With a damp fingertip, gently smooth any pointy tips. Dust with cocoa. Reserve the remaining meringue.
3.Bake until dry and firm enough to lift off the paper, 50-55 minutes. Set the pans on the counter and turn the mounds flat side up. With the tip of a knife, carefully make a small hole in the flat side of each mound. Pipe small dabs of the remaining meringue into the holes and insert the stems tip first. Return to the oven until completely dry, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on the sheets.

Marzipan Mushrooms:

8 ounces almond paste
2 cups icing sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
Cocoa powder

1.To make the marzipan combine the almond paste and 1 cup of the icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until sugar is almost absorbed.
2.Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3.Add half the corn syrup, then continue mixing until a bit of the marzipan holds together when squeezed, adding additional corn syrup a little at a time, as necessary: the marzipan in the bowl will still appear crumbly.
4.Transfer the marzipan to a work surface and knead until smooth.
5.Roll one-third of the marzipan into a 6 inches long cylinder and cut into 1-inch lengths.
6.Roll half the lengths into balls. Press the remaining cylindrical lengths (stems) into the balls (caps) to make mushrooms.
7.Smudge with cocoa powder.

Assembling the Yule Log:

1.Run a sharp knife around the edges of the genoise to loosen it from the pan.
2.Turn the genoise layer over (unmolding it from the sheet pan onto a flat surface) and peel away the paper.
3.Carefully invert your genoise onto a fresh piece of parchment paper.
4.Spread with half the coffee buttercream (or whatever filling you’re using).
5.Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder.
6.Transfer back to the baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours.
7.Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end.
8.Position the larger cut piece on each log about 2/3 across the top.
9.Cover the log with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump.
10.Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark.
11.Transfer the log to a platter and decorate with your mushrooms and whatever other decorations you’ve chosen.

Tropical White Chocolate Dessert

Folks have probably noticed a recurring theme when I blog of things baked and sweet. They are always tales of woe.
Successful dessert-making still eludes me. Might it have to do with the fact that I do not have a sweet tooth? Who knows. Beautiful dessert creations I've seen in books and other blogs constantly inspire and challenge me, though. I am also always on the look-out for something to appease the hubby's major love of sugar. So I persevere...

A kitchen tea was held at my house on the weekend and I had my heart set on making a tart. This was to be a good chance to practice making a crust, rolling it onto the tart pan and avoid shrinkage (which happens to me too often, even when I refrigerate the crust overnight prior to baking!). Anyhow, I find a decent (or so I thought) recipe for White Chocolate Mousse tart. I wanted to put my spin on it so I thought I'd throw in some dessicated coconut in the mix and then top it with mangoes.

The recipe for the filling called for thick cream, white chocolate and condensed milk. I had my reservations right from the start, wondering how the filling was supposed to set. I saw a few other similar recipes for mousse tart on the net which left me assured that mine should set after a four-hour stint in the fridge. Still, come the time when I made it, I actually used a teaspoon of gelatine just to be sure.

Everything was planned out for the day. I would make the crust first thing in the morning. By the time it has cooled down a bit, my filling should also be at room temperature and I could proceed to assembling my lovely dessert. This gives me five hours to let the tart set for a 2PM start.

2PM came and this is how the tart looked:
Ta dah!


Pretty heh?
Problem was, it couldn't be cut up. The filling was not set. A brave friend tried. Swoosh went the filling in every direction. 'Still tastes great', they said. 'We can eat it with a spoon', they tried to console. No, I wouldn't even touch it.
Still, after everyone has left, I didn't have the heart to throw it away.

The following day, my sister invites me to a small pool party at hers. What to bring, what to bring? I decided to scoop the filling out of the tart base. I cut up some mangoes, cubed some left-over madeira cake and threw everything into small tumblers. My sisters' guests enjoyed them, complete with oohs and aahs as they spoon the last of the 'custard' out of the glasses.
Whew!

Now I'm going to be cheeky and still send this over to Cook Sister as my entry for this edition of Waiter, There's Something In My... . This popular food event's them for this month is 'tarts'.
Hey, this dessert started off as a tart. I hope they accept it.....
There might be a reader out there who'd like the idea and know exactly how to fix the non-set filling. I will certainly try it out again and add more gelatine next time.


Tropical White Chocolate Dessert

makes 8 portions

White Choc filling
2 c thick whipping cream
1 tsp gelatine granules
180 g white cooking chocolate, broken into small pieces
390g tin condensed milk
1/2 c toasted dessicated coconut


2 c madeira or pound cake, cut into 1cm cubes
2 c cubes of mangoes
zest from 2 limes
1 kiwi fruit for decoration

To make the cream filling, fill a metal bowl with 150ml of the cream. Sprinkle the gelatine over the cream.
Sit the bowl on top of a slowly-simmering pot of boiling water, stirring until the cream is hot (but do not let it boil). Take the bowl off the heat and add the chopped white chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has been incorporated. Mix in the condensed milk and dessicated coconut. Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, whip the remaining cream until stiff peaks form.
Slowly fold into the white chocolate mixture once it has cooled.

To assemble the dessert, spoon some of the filling into a cup or wine glass. Add a layer of madeira cake and then a layer of mango. Sprinkle zest of lime over the mangos and then top with a slice of kiwi fruit.