Christina
05-30-2006, 07:12 PM
Berries in the Snow
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 55 minutes
NOTES: If making dessert up to 1 day ahead, cover custard, meringues, and berries airtight in separate containers and chill.
MAKES: 8 servings
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
21/2 cups milk
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons kirsch or 1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups raspberries, rinsed and drained
1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan, mix 1/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Add milk and egg yolks; whisk until smooth. Whisk over high heat until mixture boils. At once, nest pan in ice water and stir often until cool, about 9 minutes. Add kirsch and mix.
2. Meanwhile, in a deep bowl with a mixer on high speed, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Continue to beat, gradually adding 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks, about 6 minutes total.
3. In a deep 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat, bring about 1 1/2 inches water to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Using a large spoon, scoop up about 1/8 of the meringue at a time and push from spoon into simmering water. Add more scoops of meringue to fill pan without letting scoops touch each other (meringues expand slightly). Cook until bottoms of meringues are firm to touch, about 1 minute. Turn over and cook until firm to touch on the other side, about 1 minute longer. With a slotted spoon, lift meringues from water, drain briefly, and set slightly apart in a rimmed pan or dish. Repeat to scoop and cook remaining meringues. They shrink slightly as they cool.
4. To assemble, spoon custard equally into dessert bowls. Add a poached meringue to each bowl and sprinkle with raspberries.
5. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over high heat. Shake pan often until sugar is melted and amber-colored, 3 to 4 minutes. At once, spoon the hot caramel over meringues, but don't let it touch bowls; caramel immediately becomes crisp and brittle, but softens and begins to melt after standing. For crisp caramel, serve immediately; for softer caramel, cover and chill up to 1 hour.
Per serving: 262 cal., 18% (47 cal.) from fat; 5.9 g protein; 5.2 g fat (2.4 g sat.); 48 g carbo (1.5 g fiber); 69 mg sodium; 117 mg chol.
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 55 minutes
NOTES: If making dessert up to 1 day ahead, cover custard, meringues, and berries airtight in separate containers and chill.
MAKES: 8 servings
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
21/2 cups milk
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons kirsch or 1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups raspberries, rinsed and drained
1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan, mix 1/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Add milk and egg yolks; whisk until smooth. Whisk over high heat until mixture boils. At once, nest pan in ice water and stir often until cool, about 9 minutes. Add kirsch and mix.
2. Meanwhile, in a deep bowl with a mixer on high speed, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Continue to beat, gradually adding 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks, about 6 minutes total.
3. In a deep 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat, bring about 1 1/2 inches water to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Using a large spoon, scoop up about 1/8 of the meringue at a time and push from spoon into simmering water. Add more scoops of meringue to fill pan without letting scoops touch each other (meringues expand slightly). Cook until bottoms of meringues are firm to touch, about 1 minute. Turn over and cook until firm to touch on the other side, about 1 minute longer. With a slotted spoon, lift meringues from water, drain briefly, and set slightly apart in a rimmed pan or dish. Repeat to scoop and cook remaining meringues. They shrink slightly as they cool.
4. To assemble, spoon custard equally into dessert bowls. Add a poached meringue to each bowl and sprinkle with raspberries.
5. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over high heat. Shake pan often until sugar is melted and amber-colored, 3 to 4 minutes. At once, spoon the hot caramel over meringues, but don't let it touch bowls; caramel immediately becomes crisp and brittle, but softens and begins to melt after standing. For crisp caramel, serve immediately; for softer caramel, cover and chill up to 1 hour.
Per serving: 262 cal., 18% (47 cal.) from fat; 5.9 g protein; 5.2 g fat (2.4 g sat.); 48 g carbo (1.5 g fiber); 69 mg sodium; 117 mg chol.