M
E
R
IN
G
U
E
S(^) M
A S T E R C L A S S
WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM SEPTEMBER baking heaven 77
MAKES 4 LARGE MERINGUES
300g (12oz) ripe plums, in season
(ideally Victoria), or greengages
or damsons, washed
300ml (10fl oz) stock syrup (see
below)
2 bay leaves
1 quantity French meringue mixture
(see recipe, left)
For the stock syrup (makes about
700ml (1¼pts))
400g (14oz) caster sugar
50g (1¾oz) liquid glucose
1 Using a small knife, remove the stones
from the plums, without cutting them
entirely in half. Put the plums into a dish.
Heat the stock syrup with the bay leaves
in a saucepan over a medium heat. As
soon as it reaches the boil, pour the
syrup over the plums and set aside to
cool completely.
2 Preheat the oven to 100°C/Gas Mark
¼. Line a baking sheet with baking
parchment or a silicone liner. Drain the
cooled plums and dab them lightly on
kitchen paper to remove as much syrup
as possible. Using a large spoon, fold
them lightly into the meringue mixture.
3 Now, using 2 large spoons, take a
quarter of the meringue and shape into a
large quenelle by passing it between the
spoons, then place on the prepared
baking sheet.
4 Repeat to make another 3 meringues.
Cook in the oven for 2 hours.
5 Leave the meringues on the baking
sheet to cool a little, then use a palette
knife to transfer them to a wire rack.
Leave in a dry place to cool completely
before serving.
The stock syrup
1 Combine the sugar, liquid glucose and
350ml (12½fl oz) water in a saucepan
and bring slowly to the boil over a low
heat, stirring continuously with a
wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar.
Boil for 3 minutes, skimming the surface
if necessary.
2 Pass the syrup through a fine sieve or
chinois into a bowl and leave to cool. It
will keep in an air tight container in the
fridge for up to 2 weeks.
PLUM MERINGUES
These are delicious eaten within 24 hours of making, with the plum juice
slightly oozing from them. You can also make these using fresh cherries.
MERINGUE
VARIATIONS
ALMOND-TOPPED MERINGUES
Just before these meringues go into
the oven, you can sprinkle them with
flaked almonds if you like.
CHOCOLATE MERINGUES
Replace 30g (1oz) of the sugar with
30g (1oz) dark, bitter cocoa powder,
sifting in the cocoa about a minute
before the end of beating.
COFFEE MERINGUES
Carefully fold 2-3 tsp coffee essence or
cooled ver y strong espresso cof fee
into the whisked meringue.
RASPBERRY (OR LEMON)
MERINGUES
Carefully fold a few drops of raspberry
(or lemon) extract to taste into the
whisked meringue.
PETITS FOURS MERINGUES
Pipe the meringue (plain or flavoured
as above) into lit tle mounds the size
of quail’s eggs and cook for
30 minutes only.
MERINGUE NESTS
Using a piping bag fitted with a 2cm
(¾in) nozzle, pipe meringue rounds on
the prepared baking sheet, 8-10cm
(3½ - 4in) in diameter, then pipe an ex tra
ring (or two) of meringue on the edge
to form baskets. Bake as for
meringues, allowing about 1½ hours.
TIP This basic, light sugar syrup
is used to make fruit coulis,
sorbets etc. For a heavy stock
syrup, to use in a rich sauce for
example, boil the syrup further
until reduced by one-third.