Recipe by Bonne Maman (www.bonnemaman.co.uk)Dinner partydessert = sorted!PUDDING HEAVENWWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM APRIL baking heaven 55
Cherry and chocolate
meringue cake
SERVES 6
600g (1lb 4oz) jar of Bonne Maman
Cherry Compote
6 large free-range egg whites, at
room temperature
330g (11oz) caster sugar
½ tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp cornflour
4 tbsp Cointreau or fresh
orange juice
200g (7oz) good quality dark
chocolate, chopped
400ml (14fl oz) double cream
fresh cherries and chocolate
curls, to decorate
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.
Line 3 baking sheets with baking parchment
and mark each with a 20cm (8in) circle.
2 Pop the cherry compote into a wide
sieve over a bowl and stir gently. Leave
to drain for 20 minutes.
3 Whisk the egg whites in a large, clean
mixing bowl using an electric mixer until
stiff peaks form. Gradually add the
caster sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking
well after each addition, bringing the
whites back to stiff peaks before you
add more sugar.
4 Once you've whisked in half the sugar,
add the rest in larger quantities. When all
the sugar has been added, whisk the
meringue back to glossy, stiff peaks,
then whisk in the vinegar and cornflour.
5 Divide half the meringue between
two of the circles, leaving a 2cm (¾in)
gap at the edge to allow for spreading.
Use a palette knife to level off a little.
6 Spoon the remaining meringue
mixture into the third circle and use the
back of a metal spoon to make pillowy
swirls at the edge.
7 Put the meringue in the oven and
immediately reduce the temperature to
130°C/Gas Mark ¾. Bake for 2 hours,
then switch the meringues around on
the shelves and turn off the oven. Leave
the meringues inside to cool overnight.
Remove, carefully peel off the baking
paper and set aside.
8 Meanwhile, put the drained cherry
compote liquid in a small saucepan with
half the liqueur or orange juice. Bring to
the boil, bubbling gently until reduced by
half. Leave to cool. Stir the remaining
liqueur into the drained cherries.
9 Put the chocolate pieces in a
heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to the
boil in a small saucepan or the
microwave and pour over the chocolate.
Stir until the chocolate has melted and
the mixture is smooth. Chill.
10 Whisk the chilled chocolate mixture
with an electric whisk until the
consistency of whipped cream. Whisk
in half the chilled cherry liquid, which
will be lightly thickened.
11 To assemble the meringue, put one
of the rounds on a serving plate. Spoon
half the chocolate ganache onto the
meringue and gently smooth to theedges. Spoon on half the drained
cherries and a drizzle of the remaining
thickened juices.
12 Add a second round of meringue,
flat-side up, and dollop on all but
2-3 tbsp of the ganache, the remaining
cherries and juices. Top with the thicker
pillowy meringue.
13 Spoon the remaining ganache into
the centre at the top, scatter with fresh
cherries and chocolate curls. Chill in the
fridge for 1-2 hours before serving to
allow the meringue to soften a little.
14 The assembled meringue, minus
the fresh cherries will freeze for up to
2 weeks. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Tip Crème de Cassis is also delicious
in the cherry juices as an alternative
to Cointreau.