This Sky High Salted Caramel Chocolate Pie is a make-ahead, no-bake chocolate pie that came to me while I was making the special dessert for Valentine’s Day this year at the restaurant. It’s super easy with intensely deep, layered flavors of coffee and brandy which enhance the chocolate. It can be frozen in part or as a finished dessert. The really neat thing about this pie is that, when cut, it forms its own sauce as the salted caramel layer slowly oozes out to form a puddle around the base. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Meringue
Lemon Meringue Cake
This Lemon Meringue Cake was inspired by a good friend of mine who had eaten a slice in New
York. While this doesn’t resemble the one she had, the idea fascinated me since I had never thought of anything like it and I have to say I’m really excited to share this cake.
My first attempt was an abject failure. I’ll leave it there. Rethinking the idea, because I loved it so much, I redesigned the cake to better accommodate the fillings. This cake is my favorite way to make a cake. It’s a high ratio cake, meaning the weight of the sugar has to be the same or exceed the weight of the flour. It is a further variation of my blog “From 1 Recipe Comes Multiple Cake Layers”. Continue reading
Hazelnut Meringue with Raspberry Mascarpone Mousse
Meringue, including this Hazelnut Meringue, is one of the most versatile pastry components there is. It can be used from the smallest of cookies to the Winddtorte – one of the most decorated creations to be found.
When I first started thinking about this dessert, I researched Dacquoise and what I found was really interesting. Continue reading
French Macarons with Chocolate Raspberry Filling
Just in time for Valentine’s day comes these special French Macarons with the same chocolate raspberry truffle filling we sold at the bakery. This deeply chocolate, deeply raspberry filling is sandwiched between two pink macaroons.
It is important to read this header because a lot of the information is here and only referred to in the actual recipe. Continue reading
Meringue Shells
One of the easiest and most versatile dessert shell is the Meringue Shell. Only three ingredients, egg whites, sugar and an acid along with a bit of time in a low oven transforms these simple components into feather light, melt in your mouth containers for almost anything you want to put in them.
From Schaum Tortes of Vienna filled with a lightened lemon curd to ice cream balls, and the national dessert of New Zealand and Australia, Pavolova, these Meringue Shells make the perfect do ahead dessert. I remember well when I was young my mother making Schaum Torte on special occasions. She would make a large nine or ten inch shell and fill it with the most delicious lemon filling. I was always first in line for a piece. Well, one year my uncle came to our house to help transfer the mountain of food my mother made including the Schaum Torte, croissant and other treats to our grandmothers where we al ate. As he stepped off the curb, he slipped and while he remained upright, alas, the lemon filled treat fell from his hands into the curb. I don’t think he ever got over it. I’m sure my mother didn’t. I know for sure I didn’t.
There are many types of meringue from the soft pillows that cover a lemon meringue pie to buttercreams based on various meringues to crisp cookies or shells. The type of meringue depends upon the amount of sugar used. For a crisp meringue a two to one proportion of egg whites to sugar is used. For these crisp shells a base formula of 1 egg white to 1/4 cup (50 grams or 1 2/3 ounces) of sugar is used. An acid such as 1/2 teaspon cream of tarter or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar helps stabalize the meringue. Continue reading
