Backstory
- Since I will be on the plane for the whole day tomorrow, I made this today for an early valentines. I like to think that
each half of the meringue linked together by the double cream
symbolizes human relationships, and since compote means "mix" in some
language - I would like to represent mixed feelings in relationships. So
deep I can't even see myself anymore.
Happy Valentine's! (Belated)
What to Expect
- A trio of meringues with double cream on top of unsweetened refreshing
apple compote. Since meringue is technically baked sugar and egg white,
the sweetness is balanced by the double cream and the apple compote.
Yeap, the simpler the better. Not too much technicalities involved.
Ingredients
Part A : The Meringue
a) Two Egg Whites
b) Pinch of Salt
c) 125g Castor Sugar
Part B : Plating
a) Double Cream ( Half a teaspoon to a teaspoon per two meringue sides )
b) Apples
c) Cinnamon (Powder)
d) Water and Vanilla Essence (1 drop) mixture
- You can make either Poached Apples (Diced) or an Apple Compote. To make the apple compote, simply add more liquid to make the final product more syrupy. The poached apple (if you are making it) should be crunchy and unsweetened to complement the texture of the meringues.
Procedure
a) Pour the egg whites into a mixing bowl and add in the pinch of salt. Start beating (it is easier to use a machine mixer since you will take years to beat it to stiff peaks. Make sure that there is no other impurities in the egg yolk or else it will not stiffen.
b) When the mixture is stiff and forms peaks, gradually add the sugar whil mixing at high speed until the mixture is glossy and stiff.
c) Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and then begin piping on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
d) Preheat the oven to 120'C for about 20 minutes, and then bake for around an hour until the meringues are pale golden brown.
e) Now, dice the apples and put in a pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the diced apples and then pour in the water and vanilla essence mixture. Stir fry until you can smell a heavy aroma of apples and cinnamon (like that of apple pie)
f) Put them on a plate and separate into as many factions as you want. Spoon half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of double cream and put on the flat side of a meringue. Take another and clamp them together. Serve on the poached apples (diced)
Once the dough was cold enough, I took out the tart tin and pressed them down evenly. This I poked holes around to prevent rising, and then baked for 15 minutes at 180'C. While waiting for that, I started to poach the apples in sugar and cinnamon (some water as well).
I thought that it would taste good as well, so I added some almonds I soaked in water for about a few minutes. When the apples have caramelized, the tart shell was done baking, and so I took it out and poured these naughty boys in em.
Then, it was time for baking. I baked them at 160'C for 15 more minutes. Removing the tart from the tin was hard, cause it was really - really hot.
Then, it was done. It tasted so wonderful and majestic with yogurt. I noticed, however that the middle of the crust was a little raw (from the image) even though they taste normal to me. Reminder to self to bake the crust longer maybe around 25 minutes at 180'C before pouring the apples and almonds in. All in all, a very educational session!
