January 28, 2016

Chocolate Meringue Cakes, or the Habit of Conservation

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets chocolate meringue, chocolate meringue cake, meringue

Have you noticed how, more often than not, the end of something good only means the beginning of something better? It happens to me everytime I bake: the end of a good dessert brings me inspiration for the next. But most often, it’s the ingredients, or rather, what’s left, the scraps and by-products, that are the spark for the next one. It might come from that very Spanish ingrained habit of conservation, of not discarding any part of a vegetable, of a fish or an animal, by using all its parts in one way or another —if you’ve been following Mama Ía blog you’ve learned by now that the heads and bones of fish are the main ingredient in fish stock, and is famous the saying “del cerdo, hasta los andares”,  “from the pig, even its walk”, which basically means that no part of a pig goes to waste.

 

For centuries, convents and monasteries in Spain have been the repository of the tradition of sweets, whose recipes have been preserved without change for just as long. The nuns and monks lovingly and painstakingly worked the simple yet labor consuming sweets, while assuming their role of custodians of the legacy of the recipes, a role that continues to this day. Many of these recipes, and the ingredients to elaborate them, are a legacy of the Moors, and therefore have stayed in the Iberian peninsula for centuries. These include almonds, olive oil and aniseed, ingredients found in many Spanish sweets, particularly in the south of Spain, Andalusia, the last bastion of the Moorish occupancy.

Another aspect of the tradition of sweets in Spain is the abundance of recipes, particularly in the monasteries, that required a considerable number of egg yolks. The sherry and wine producers were, in part, the ones to blame —or to thank— as they used the egg whites in the process of clarifying the wines, and gave the yolks to the local monasteries.

I am a proud heir of the traditions of my land, and as such, I’m a conservationist: I utilize as much as I can of the ingredients I use. There are not many parts of any food that go to waste in my kitchen.

Which brings me to today’s post.

Remember the velvety lemon tart…? The fresh strawberry tartlets…? If you’ve already made them, or even if you’ve just read the recipe, you’ll notice you end up with six egg whites leftover. I hope you didn’t throw them out! All those egg whites will make the healthiest of omelets, which I was very tempted to make. But —six egg whites will also make the most delicious, airy meringue (remember the Coffee Meringues). Ah, decisions!

So after weighing all the options, the pros and cons, and running a family poll, the choice was clear, and meringue it was —a chocolate meringue cake, to be exact. And yes, I know it’s the third dessert post in a row. But I also know that it’s winter in the northern hemisphere, and we need the extra energy to keep us warm. Even then, you’ll be glad to know that chocolate meringue cake is flourless, and you can limit the amount of cream to your liking, spreading thin or thick layers of it. This cake is so light and airy, you’ll find it hard to feel guilty about having had a share. So enjoy it! Swimsuit season is still a few months away.

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKES

Tartas de Merengue de Chocolate

Ingredients:

Makes 3 cakes

          Meringues:

6 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1 Tbs cornstarch

1 1/2 Tbs baking cocoa

2 cups whipping cream

1 tsp icing sugar

1 Tbs chocolate shavings

          Chocolate  syrup:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbs corn syrup

2 Tbs chocolate chips or pearls

 

Make the meringues

Preheat the oven to 275° F.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk until shiny white, like the surface of a pearl (I use an electric mixer and whisk at medium-high speed). Keep whisking while adding the cornstarch, then the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until firm peaks form, about 6-10 minutes total. Keep a watchful eye so you don’t overbeat, which would cause the egg whites to clump.

Dust with the baking cocoa, folding gently.

With a large spoon, scoop out dollops of the mixture and shape into 6 rounds on the parchment paper, about 6 inches in diameter each. Bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off, but leave the meringues inside for an extra 30 minutes, with the oven door slightly open.

Make the syrup

In a saucepan, mix the water, baking cocoa, sugar and corn syrup. Heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat source and add the chocolate chips, stirring to melt and blend.

Whip the cream. As it thickens, add 1 tsp icing sugar. Keep whipping until stiff peaks form.

When the meringues are completely cool, place three of them on serving plates. If necessary, press gently on the meringue tops with the back of a spoon to flatten them slightly.

Spread a layer of whipped cream over them, about 2/3 inch thick. Drizzle each cake with 1 Tbs chocolate syrup. Place another meringue on top, then more whipped cream, then a generous spoonful of chocolate syrup. Top with chocolate shavings. Serve, or refrigerate.

Note: The meringue cakes are light, but large enough to share. They are best consumed within no more than two days.