(no subject)

[freyakitten]

The following was something I did on the 16th:

There was a recipe for mini lemon meringue tarts in the Paralyser a few weeks ago. I failed at making the meringue bit (apparently, egg whites won't whip using a stab mixer...), but the tarts were damn tasty without. Very very very tasty. Screw the meringues, I'm now going to play with the recipe for the tarts.

Pastry:
100g butter (I used some kind of artificially produced spread)
100g icing sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
zest & juice of a lemon
250g plain flour (I used a mixture of soy flour and buckwheat)
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 180C. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and egg yolk, zest and juice, and mix until combined. Sift in flour and salt and mix until pastry comes together (I had to add ice water, it was a rather small lemon). Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for an hour, then roll out the pastry (very thin - the recipe said 2-3mm for shells 4-5cm in diameter, for which this should make 20-25 shells), cut circles to line your tart shells, and refrigerate for another half hour (I formed the pastry into a log of around the right thickness and, when it had been refrigerated, cut rounds from it, which takes out the two steps I'm most likely to screw up). Blind bake for 15 minutes until cooked through. Set aside.

Filling:
5 egg yolks
100g caster sugar (this was the point at which I found that the caster sugar had gone in our last moth purge. I used icing sugar instead. We have lots of that)
110mL lemon juice (it took four lemons of the size I had picked up before I refused to juice anymore - and it wasn't this much)
125g butter (again, spread stuff used)

Cream egg yolks and sugar. Add lemon juice and mix well. Place bowl over a small pot of simmering water and cook gently (stirring obsessively but slowly) until custard starts to thicken (for those who haven't done it before, it's a noticeable change. If you're wondering whether it's done or not, you need to give it another five to ten or maybe fifteen minutes). Cut butter into small lumps and add, one at a time, to the custard, stirring to combine. When all the butter is added, strain through a fine sieve (I omitted this step. I had smooth, lump-free custard), cover with cling wrap (again, omitted), and refrigerate.

Meringue. At which I fail I assembled and baked the tarts without it :
140g caster sugar
100mL water
100g egg whites (about half of what I'd collected getting yolks)

Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium heat, and stir to dissolve. Simmer (until you want to throw it out the window). Use a pastry brush and water to occasionally wash down the sides of the saucepan so that you don't get sugar crystals. It should be quite thick (eventually) and, when done, set when dropped into cold water. Test with small drops, and endeavour to roll the set syrup into a ball. When it retains its shape it is ready and should be taken off of the heat.

Whisk the egg whites (with an electric mixer (if you do it by hand, you're a masochist and do not deserve a medal) that isn't a stab mixer) until stiff. Keep the mixer on, and slowly pour the sugar syrup in in a steady stream. Keep whisking on high for 4-5 minutes, then reduce speed and continue to whisk until cool.

To assemble, stick the pastry shells on a baking tray covered in baking paper, stick the custard in the pastry shells and the meringue on top. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until the meringue is set and starting to brown.

Tonight's experimentation proves the following:

Firstly, when using this recipe for making pies rather than tartlets, the amounts given are perfect for two pie casings and one filling.
Secondly, one may substitute 150mL lactose-free cream for the caster sugar and lemon juice in the filling, and 250g dark chocolate, melted, for the butter, and the filling tastes damn good.
Thirdly, Bastard gets a  little snippy when told he can't have any because I'm taking them to work in the morning. He'll get over it.
Fourthly, I really really cannot be bothered making the meringue bits. Buggrit. I don't like it enough to put that much effort in.

Comments

[reverancepavane.livejournal.com]

(apparently, egg whites won't whip using a stab mixer...) Too violent. Breaks the polymer strands you need for the base. You need to fold egg whites to make merangee-of-doom. "Gently, gently makee merangeee..."

[freyaw.livejournal.com]

I need to whip the egg whites first, before I can fold them, and this is where I fail.

[rowlirowl.livejournal.com]

Scrum-tiddly-umptious! :)

[rowlirowl.livejournal.com]

You know, theoretically speaking, you should be able to use a stab mixer. Theoretically speaking.

Wouldn't it act just like a single beater? So long as you move it around (eg. a figure of eight) it could work.

Any ideas on why it didn't?

[freyaw.livejournal.com]

Bastard says the stab mixer doesn't mix in air, which makes sense. At least, it doesn't unless you're willing to risk a kitchen covered in egg.

[freyaw.livejournal.com]

Tasty goodness!