Happy Easter! I hope you all enjoy meeting with friends and family outside for the first time in months soon. I’m going to have a tin of these delightful meringues, a tub of double cream and a jar of Amalfi lemon curd ready to make amazing treats for anyone who rocks up. Remeber social distancing – so don’t all come at once!
NEVER FAIL MERINGUES
Pre-heat oven Gas 1/140C
Prepare 2 large greased baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Ingredients
Whites of 5 medium free-range eggs
Caster sugar
Method
Make sure there is absolutely no yolk in the egg whites. Weigh the egg whites. Now simply weigh double the weight of caster sugar.
Whisk the egg whites in a large clean dry bowl until they have doubled in size. Gradually add in the caster sugar, whisking all the time.
Keep whisking until the mixture reaches soft white peaks and stands up firmly on the whisk
when you hold it up.
Use 2 metal spoons to divide the mixture into meringue shapes on to the baking tray. Leave them well spaced apart so they cook evenly. You can make them as large or small as you prefer.
Bake for an hour on the bottom shelf of the oven, if they are very large bake for a further 15 minutes.
Switch the oven off and leave the meringues for a few hours or better still, overnight to dry out.
Store for up to 2 months in a well-sealed tin with lid.
AMALFI LEMON CURD
Ingredients
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 large organic Amalfi lemons
125g caster sugar
5 yolks medium free-range eggs
175g unsalted butter, room temperature
Method
Choose a medium-sized mixing bowl that will sit easily into a wider saucepan.
Fill the saucepan half full with water, enough so that the bowl balanced on the pot does not touch the water.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and egg yolks to the bowl.
Whisk everything together until well blended.
Warm the water in the saucepan and as it starts to simmer, carefully lower the bowl over it.
Keeping the water on a low simmer, use a plastic spatula to stir the mixture continuously until it warms and starts to thicken into a curd, and it starts to coat the back of the spatula. This should take about 6-8 minutes.
At this stage remove the bowl from the saucepan.
Now add the room temperature butter and gently stir until it is all melted and incorporated into the thickened curd.
Finally strain through a fine mesh strainer into a sterilised jar or bowl.
Allow to cool and store covered in refrigerator for up to 7 days.
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