GLUTEN-FREE MERINGUES FOR QUEEN SOFIA
It’s Jan and her partner’s turn for their large family Christmas gathering. With luck, there could be more than thirty of them. Phew. So we’re looking at Christmas fare that can be easily prepared and made in small or large quantities.
Meringues for Queen Sofia fits that bill. It is a fabulously delicious layering of caramel cream, meringues, nuts and muscatels.
All the components except the cream can be prepared well in advance and the whole dessert, apart from the garnish, can be put together the day before. The recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or halved. I’ll be making it for our tiny party of sixteen.
And it looks fit for a King …. or Queen.
Rosie
MERINGUES FOR QUEEN SOFIA
Serves 10-12
Start this recipe the day before to cook and chill the condensed milk and make the meringues.
1 395gm tin condensed milk
120 gm muscatels or seedless raisins
60 ml Pedro Ximenez (or other good quality sweet sherry)
180 gm shelled pecan nuts, lightly roasted
1 litre thickened cream, whipped
Place the tin of condensed milk in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 60 minutes, topping up the water if necessary. Do not open the tin while still warm unless you are partial to explosions. Allow to cool completely then refrigerate. The caramelised condensed milk will keep, in its tin in the fridge, for up to a week.
Combine the muscatels and the sherry in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the liquid. Store the muscatels in their liquid for up to a week.
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Place the pecan nuts on an oven tray and cook for 15 minutes or until lightly roasted. Allow to cool. The roasted pecan nuts will keep, in an airtight container, in a cool place, for several weeks.
For the Meringues
3 egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
165 gm caster sugar
1 tablespoon espresso coffee
Preheat oven to 120°C. Line several baking trays with baking paper.
Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until medium peaks form. Gradually add half the sugar and continue whipping for 1 minute before gradually adding the second half. Continue to whip for a further 2 minutes or until glossy. Fold in the coffee.
Pipe or spoon 3-4cm sized meringues onto the prepared trays and bake for 1½ hours. Allow to cool on the trays. When cold, store in airtight containers if not using immediately.
The meringues will keep, if stored properly in an airtight container, for up to a month.
To Assemble
Place the chilled condensed milk in a large bowl and fold in the whipped cream.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the muscatels, a handful of pecans and a few meringues for a garnish.
Onto the base of a large glass presentation bowl, spread a quarter of the cream mixture topped with a third of the meringues, pecans and muscatels (with some of their liquid).
Continue with another quarter of cream, another third of the meringues, pecans and muscatels (and liquid) followed by another quarter of cream then the remaining meringues, pecans and muscatels (and liquid).
Top with the remaining cream and smooth the top. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to serve, decorate with the reserved meringues, pecans and muscatels.