This has been a weird September, so it's only fitting that this month's muffin is also weird. So weird, it's not even a muffin!
For anyone who avoids gluten (or just likes sticky, chocolatey treats), Miriam's Missionary Meringue will be right up your alley. Props go to 38-year old Miriam, mom of "2 +2," whatever that means. Click on photos to enlarge.
Making these meringues started off well enough, with a minimum of ingredients:
But my first inkling that there was trouble ahead came when I broke two of the yolks when I was separating the eggs (managing to squirt egg white across the stove as I tried to crack open one of them). I never break the yolks. But at least none ended up in the whites:
The KitchenAid was so quick at whipping the eggs that I barely had time to get any photos before they turned from liquid to solid-ish. And then I messed up again--I jumped the gun, adding the sugar and cocoa before the white were completely stiff. I was sure they were ruined. But hey, this is my first ever attempt at meringues--what do I know?--so I forged ahead.
I have no idea what meringue batter is supposed to look like, but I don't think it's this:
I forgot to take pre-oven photos, but they looked pretty sad and liquidy in the muffin cups. So I was amazed when the hour was up and I pulled these out of the oven (check out the one that's just about popping out of the cup on its own):
They crumble pretty easily, but they sure do look pretty on the plate! The geranium flower and lavender stalk are from my garden:
(PS--I finally figured out my camera has a "food" setting, and this is the first time I used it. I'm pretty pleased with the results.)
Miriam's Missionary Meringue (Gluten Free)
[My notes/changes in brackets.]
3 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup [granulated] sugar
5 tbs cocoa [powder, unsweetened]
Beat egg whites until stiff, then gradually add sugar and cocoa [I wasn't sure if the sugar and cocoa should be folded in or what, so I just lowered the speed on the mixer about two notches as I added them.]
Butter your muffin tin thoroughly and fill 3/4 full with meringue.
Put in a cold oven and turn the heat to 250F. Bake for one hour.
Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the muffins and turn out. Tops should be crisp, bottoms chewy.
Cut off the tops of each muffin and fill with ice cream, fruit, or whipped cream. [I wouldn't bother cutting off the tops--there's a natural indentation anyway, and the tops are crunchy and tasty.]
Makes 12 "muffins"
My verdict: *I love these! They're super easy to make; despite my worries they turned out perfectly. They're also delicious. The chewy bottoms aren't so much muffin-like as marshmallow-like, but I don't have any problem with that. In fact, if I let myself, I could probably polish off all 12 of them in one sitting. Alas, my self-control is firmly in place.
*If you pay extra attention to buttering the rims of the muffin cups, you'll probably have less sticking and crumbling than I did (although they still came off the sides easily).
*The recipe does not make enough to fill the cups 3/4 full--more like half.
*These meringues are definitely reminiscent of brownies, so I think they'd be perfect served with vanilla ice cream (or maybe unsweetened whipped cream). If you really want to go over the top, serve with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Want more Hot Mormon Muffins (and really, who doesn't)? Check out my previous posts:
January: Easy Banana-Praline Muffins
February: Raspberry Muffins
March: Marmalade Muffins
April: Cinnamon-Nut Streusel Muffins
May: Zesty Zucchini Muffins
June: Seven Grains Muffins
July: Blueberry Muffins
August: Lemon Muffins
Photos by Whimsy Bower
[Edited to update title, links, and for formatting. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]
No comments:
Post a Comment