New Cookbook

[thistle]

Just got a new cookbook, & going through it, there’s almost nothing I don’t want to cook-Matty Matheson’s, ‘Home Style Cookery’. I’m starting year 4! Week 10 of Reddit’s 52 Weeks of Cooking, theme is foam, & I am clueless, don’t want to drop out now-any ideas?

[Pat]

4 hours ago, thistle said:

theme is foam

What about something with meringue? Foamed milk or cream on top of mousse or pudding?

If you have a cream whipper or soda stream, something with a CO₂ cartridge, that would make it easier. Otherwise, you'll have to find some other way to whip something to the next level.

[thistle]

Thanks, I am ashamed to say that I have a Sodastream, but haven’t put it into action yet. I think I’m going to make coffee meringues. I think I read somewhere that you should use room temp egg whites, does this sound right?

 

[Pat]

Yes, room temperature egg whites are best for a meringue. Coffee meringue sounds good!

[thistle]

I made 2 batches of the meringues, neither was entirely successful. This is the recipe I used-https://food52.com/recipes/11268-coffee-meringues I just couldn’t get the whites to form stiff peaks, I tried it again (in case my eggs were old), but just about the same result. They tasted ok, but now I want to try again, w/ a different recipe (the meringue will not defeat me!)

[saf]

19 hours ago, thistle said:

I made 2 batches of the meringues, neither was entirely successful. This is the recipe I used-https://food52.com/recipes/11268-coffee-meringues I just couldn’t get the whites to form stiff peaks, I tried it again (in case my eggs were old), but just about the same result. They tasted ok, but now I want to try again, w/ a different recipe (the meringue will not defeat me!)

Here, perhaps my easy meringue recipe will help? OK, actually it is Mom's recipe. Or maybe her mother's or grandmother's recipe.

Puffs

1 egg white
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (Mom says use the really small ones.I get the Ghiradelli mini chips.)

Beat the egg white until frothy.  Continue beating, slowly adding sugar,
until egg whites stand in stiff peaks.  Beat in vinegar and vanilla.  Fold in the
chips.  Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 25
minutes at 275 degrees F.  Allow to partly cool on cookie sheet before removing, or
they will come apart.  If you are trying to keep them for any length of time,
make sure they are in an airtight container, as humidity will ruin them.
(Supposedly this makes about 25 cookies.)

My comments:

Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature before beating. They will whip up a LOT better.

Superfine sugar is a good idea (make your own by running regular sugar in the blender)

Sometimes I use cream of tartar in place of vinegar. When the egg whites get frothy, beat in a 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg white. Then don’t put in vinegar.

I use parchment on the cookie sheets. Makes removing the cookies from the sheet a LOT easier. Don't use silicon mats.

Sometimes at Christmas, I put peppermint extract in and then sprinkle with edible glitter, or swirl in some food coloring. You can get cool patterns if you only partially mix in the coloring. You can get the glitter at any baking supply shop. I get it at Little Bitts in Wheaton. I’m sure you could use other flavors and colors too. Just make sure they go with chocolate, or swap that out.

Feel free to multiply - just realize that it makes a lot. Don’t do more than 4 egg whites at a time, or the meringue will fall before you get all of it baked.

I make the cookies a bit smaller than the recipe expects, so it makes more than 25 cookies for me.

My mom made these, and remembers her mom making them. So, they are at least my grandmother's recipe. She may have gotten it from her mom, but we are not sure.

[Pat]

Going to save this ^^^ meringue recipe. Thanks.

I just got a Taste newsletter in my inbox that's all about meringues. This is the web link.

[thistle]

Thanks, I am not giving up on meringues just yet. Tonight, I’m baking a blackberry almond cake (mandelkaka med bjornbar) from, “Fika- The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break” because week 11’s theme on 52 weeks of cooking is “Hard to Pronounce”.  https://imgur.com/gallery/UO75wKL

[saf]

2 hours ago, thistle said:

Thanks, I am not giving up on meringues just yet. Tonight, I’m baking a blackberry almond cake (mandelkaka med bjornbar) from, “Fika- The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break” because week 11’s theme on 52 weeks of cooking is “Hard to Pronounce”.

Oh, that sounds really good. Kera used to make a Swedish almond cake at Domku. One of the many food items I miss VERY VERY much from there. It didn't have blackberries though.

I will note, I learned to make fancy meringues (like piped mushrooms for the Yule Log cake) from the Jacques Pepin techniques book, and he really emphasized how gradually you should add the sugar. He has you do it a spoonful at a time. I always just slowly tipped the cup into the mixer bit by bit, but have slowed down quite a bit since reading that. It does seem to make them more stable.

3 hours ago, Pat said:

Going to save this ^^^ meringue recipe. Thanks.

It's funny, when I was a kid, the Puffs recipe never failed, unless you tried to make them on a very humid day. Made them in the small bowlon my Mom's old sunbeam mixer, that came from her Mom. I have occasional issues with them now in my very nice kitchen aid. I think the bowl is a little too big.