It is nearly 11 PM on the night before I am supposed to be posting my latest Daring Baker challenge. One would think that after almost a year has gone by since becoming a Daring Baker, that I would actually complete a challenge with enough time to wipe the sweat from my brow, catch my breath, and swear I’ll never, ever procrastinate again.
But no.
Clearly, I haven’t learned. I’ll spare you the proverbial excuses and say that I’d planned to snuggle into bed to read more than three paragraphs of the current book I’m dragging myself through when I had an acute attack of the guilties. Or, maybe it was just that I didn’t want to not be present when the party started. Because I know right now, that if I chose to click on certain links, some of the Daring Bakers have posted because it is already "tomorrow" where they live in the world. Living in the most southwestern corner of the US, I’m one of the last to greet midnight. The hour that, it is LEGAL to post our latest challenge.
So. No bed. No novel. Tell me. When was the last time you witnessed such dedication? Okay. Whatever. I’ll get on with it.
This month, our Lemon Meringue Pie challenge was hosted by Jen The Canadian Baker. And to me, the challenge would be about the meringue. It isn’t that I haven’t made meringue or that when I do, it doesn’t turn out. It’s more about the perfect meringue (as if I could actually hope for this…). The meringue I saw on top of a pie featured in Saveur last March (ironically, my very first challenge and dismal failure — you can hear that bomb dropping, right… as a Daring Baker was featured in the very same article!) was, in fact, a lemon meringue pie, but oh my goodness. Not like one I’ve seen before: the meringue piped in bold sweeps toward the center making it look like an exotic flower. Amazing.
How did they do that? One would think that meringue is meringue. No big deal. Egg whites and some sugar. Lots of beating. Voila! Right?
Wrong.
An so this challenge will go down in history as being one of great revelation, and defeat. *sigh*
For the recipe, please visit Elle at Feeding my Enthusiasms. It’s past the magic hour now, so she’s the first one I found who has her post up!
Here are my sordid details.
The Crust
I chose to use my food processor. I’ve become accustomed to it and since Dorie Greenspan gives it her approval, why not? This recipe’s crust is very good. It behaves. I made three small tarts in tins with removable bottoms and three free form tarts, baking them on the same sheet. The shells in the tins were more delicate, and not as crunchy as the free form disks — which were, in my opinon, too hard. You know, kind of like something someone would throw in the Olympics. Of course, I probably left them in the oven a bit too long, so I’ll have to try this again some time. The flavor was great, though, with no complaints coming from the menfolk in the house.
The Curd
Okay. Confession time. You’d think living in Southern California, I’d have lemons coming out my ears. In fact I went to the store today. Do you think I bought lemons? Nope. But thankfully, I did have some at home — just not enough to squeeze 3/4 cup of juice from. Close, but no cigar. Sooooooo…..I had to use a tangelo to make up the difference. I know. But it’s citrus, right? And I have to tell you, that an entire tangelo squeezed into 2/3′s cup of lemon juice makes quite a pretty sight in the measuring cup colorwise, but in the end, the flavor of the curd was still lemon. But a tangelo meringue pie does sound kind of tasty, doesn’t it?
This curd comes together very nicely. It thickens quickly. In fact, it’s so thick, adding a bit of it to the egg yolks to temper them was interesting, but it worked just fine. It also stays nice and thick while the cook has to mess around with dinner, make sure the crust is not burning, and the meringue is ready to go. The flavor is excellent, and I have lots left over for hmmmm….maybe Peabody & Helene’s doughnuts. With powdered sugar…Mmmm…
Where was I?
The Meringue
I have another confession to make. I made the meringue from the Saveur recipe. I know. I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist. Here are my excuses: 1) I helped my mother make her first lemon meringue pie from scratch at Christmas; 2) I made a chocolate meringue pie for my husband for his birthday; and 3) my husband said, "Just make the one in the magazine." I know. I’m supposed to make the one in the recipe we are given. But I looked at the ingredients and the method, and it was nearly exactly like the others. And I was DYING to make the other because it calls for sugar heated to the firm ball stage, and then slowly poured into the egg whites as they are beaten until they cool completely. It’s totally amazing! And I now know that this is THE perfect meringue. PERFECT.
Except I was messing around with candied orange peel and left my tarts in the oven too long! GAH! Like one really needs candied orange peel with one’s lemon meringue pie, doesn’t one? NO. One doesn’t.
That’s what I get for cheating. But still. How could I not do what this man told me to do?
He was doing the laundry for gawdsakes. The hat is courtesy of my sister who wanted him to be warm when we visited her family at Christmas. Don’t even ask why he has it on now.
I learned something new (not that cheaters never prosper…), and that’s what made this challenge fun for me. If you’re interested in trying a different kind of meringue, see what you think. Just don’t burn it like I did.
And don’t forget to check out the other nine gazillion Daring Bakers and their Lemon Meringue Pies!
Related posts:
- Chocolate Macarons with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Buttercream I’ve tried to remember the first time I saw a...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Lovely! Your pies look just lovely! Well done and who cares if you procastinate if you can get such lovely desserts done!
nice looking pies!
Well done. Just beautiful.Tangelo and lemon sounds so refreshing.
I’d definitely cheat for a man who does laundry. And they look gorgeous to me.
Ummmm! The pics are so tempting I am craving these all over again. Great job!
Those pies are beautiful! I want a bite!
You have a very nice blog, good post…keep up the good job
heheh- you just better hope they don’t try and revoke your Daring Baker Card. It’s the only way you can enter into some countries now.
I kind of like the tangelo idea- you’ve totally got me on a whole new tangent of configuring meringue flavor twists in my head now.
And laundry?!?!?! He’s a keeper (even with the hat).
I hear you on the cheating. If I had some man doing my laundry I might be tempted to do whatever he asked. Great looking pies!
Man, if my husband did our washing (without all the nagging, pleading, and threatening like I have to resort to) I’d sneak in a few modifications too!
And now I don’t feel so bad about constantly doing the challenges hours before the post date, I knew I wasn’t the only one!
The bumps and peaks that you piped on are lovely and they’re browned perfectly! How wonderful!
You are a procrastinator, aren’t you? I’m the same way, with EVERYTHING. Including getting my butt to work.
Yay! Good job! I still think they look perfect and beautiful, even though you said you slightly burnt the top.
Hubz looks stylish in that hat.
lovely LMP, fantastic, would love to have a bite!
I am a procrastinator as well!! And I would do anything for my husband if I could get him to do the wash!!
They’re beautiful, though, and I love the idea of a tangelo pie! Hmm….
So cute! The hat, ehh the pies I mean. Tangelo sounds so much more exotic right? And did you mention chocolate meringue pie? (darn, I’ve typed it at least a 1000 times now and still mix the q and g). Have to have that recipe (to convince my chocoholic son and husband!)
They are a little bit burnt, but who cares? they look delicious! What I got for procrastinating was that my mixer broke on me last week and I didn’t get another one (I couldn’t) and I wasn’t going to do all that beating with my bare hands! My grandma would be so disappointed. Oh well, next month I shall conquer another challenge.
Cheers!
Hat looks warm, and the tarts look great. Nice pipping.
How is the book coming, btw?
I think they look lovely! The disks may have been hard, but give them a day in the fridge and they’ll soften. I think the tangelo sounds delicious!! I’ve made Orange curd with Orange cake and Orange curd whipped cream for my dad and it was heavenly. I’m curious as to how you make your candied peel….I find boiling from cold water 3 times eliminates all the bitterness, then boiling in a heavy simple syrup, drying slightly and then tossing in sugar makes it come out almost like jelly candies. YUM!! How do you make yours?
You just crack me up every month with our challenges! Even under the wire, you managed to make them look lovely. As usual, I love cooking with you.
Busted! I changed where I was posting from in order to post earlier than 8 PM 1/28/08, which is the earliest that I would have been able to post otherwise. Between work and an after work appointment, I just got home. Glad that it helped you
Your tarts are delightful and that meringue looks beautiful. Impressed that the crust didn’t seem to shrink, either. Great job!
hahah don´t worry, they are brown enough. About the meringue recipe with hot syrup, that´s a traditional meringue technique we call “merengue italiano” here, which I think I´ve read as Italian meringue in English somewhere. It´s what people usually choose for LMP because it holds up nicely. Another good technique that is a bit less messy is the French meringue, which requires heating up the raw whites with the sugar for a little bit and them beating them up until they are nice and firm and cool down.
Your patterns are such fun! Great looking pies.
a tangelo and lemon pie? How cool is that?
I love your different piped tops, doen’t look burnt to me! x
He’s doing laundry…yesssss! Your tarts are cute and they look delicious, too!
Don’t be self conscious– they look fabulous….
Next time I want to try putting jam on the crusts before filling.
Beautiful little pies! I have to get a piping bag. Everyone who used one in this challenge has had the most beautiful meringues!
hey, I love the idea of tangelo meringue pie!
First, great hat! Second, I’m glad that I’m not the only one to get the guilties. I think I like that word … and like to say it, just not feel it.
Super looking pie “Good Golly”
Speedy
HA!! Great post! I loved reading it. And I love meringue with the hot syrup poured into it! Yum! Wish I had one of your darling tarts. I think tarts was the way to go.
The little tarts are pretty! I totally understand- it is very hard to get excited to make a recipe when you suspect the results won’t measure up to YOUR recipe.
Do you have to bake an Italian meringue? The whites get cooked with the hot syrup, right? A little browning under the broiler or torch is all that’s needed to make it look pretty, or no?
The little tarts are pretty! I totally understand- it is very hard to get excited to make a recipe when you suspect the results won’t measure up to YOUR recipe.
Do you have to bake an Italian meringue? The whites get cooked with the hot syrup, right? A little browning under the broiler or torch is all that’s needed to make it look pretty, or no?
I love your meringue piping – so pretty. I have no idea what a tangelo is though – they obviously haven’t made it to London yet!
Fabulous job da’lin! Tangelo curd rocks…especially with donuts (wink-wink!).
those pies look so beautifullll
I couldn’t resist a man doing laundry either. I love all the designs of your meringue. Awesome little pies.
Your little tarts look great! Baking at the 11th hour is always a challenge in itself, isn’t it? I can’t wait to try the Saveur meringue, it sounds good, and I’m not a meringue fan.
As long as you learned your lesson, you’re excused.
The meringues look very cute and dainty, though.
Your tarts look so cute!
Your tarts look so cute!
I CAN NOT F’N BELIEVE YOU DIDN’T FOLLOW THE RECIPE EXACTLY AS IT WAS WRITTEN!!!!! I am SO disppointed in you.
NOT.
heeeee! Hey we all gotta give in to those temptations once in a while, eh? I’ve made Italian meringue before and LOVE IT. It was part of what made my Italian meringue buttercream so DAMNED GOOD in between the SO DAMNED BAD crepes that The Martha had us make. *sigh*
Anyhoo, am glad you got to try it.. you did an awesome job with the meringue – it’s GORGEOUS! Like you!
xoxoxxoxoxoxox
Sometimes you just have to do what you want to do!
Your meringue is lovely and I will try it some time- although I really prefer whipped cream as a topping
Nice job and I enjoyed your post!
xoxo
Your tarts look great. I like your differnet piping techniques. I have to get this Dorie Greenspan cookbook – I keep reading about it in DBr blogs. I read (in someones blog) that the Italian style meringue cooks the meringue and is less likely to weep. Your write-up was a fun read. Wendy
Kelly, I don’t get it. I don’t see a flop here! Your tarts all look wonderful!
ho,ho.
Um . . . didn’t follow the recipe . . . I’ve always followed the recipe . . . well except for that Red Velvet where I thought I’d make it healthy
I’m really sorry I didn’t remember to try my pastry bag and do some patterns. Yours look like great fun!
Nice loooking pies. tsk tsk so you’re a cheater! At least you are honest about it. I would just pretend I did it to the recipe like the time I…. oops did I type that that? Loved your post.
I’m glad you set aside the novel and decided to forgo sleep in favor of January’s challenge. I’ll be heading to the library for a copy of Saveur magazine this weekend. Gorgeous!
Looks great. I love the different designs on the meringue! BTW, if I had someone doing my laundry, I’d do what they wanted in a meringue, too! DB rules…be gone!