So. It’s happened then. I have to say it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I opened #1’s door that particular morning - half expecting to see some embryonic teenager emerging from a particularly stinky chrysalis, complete with already formed armpit hair and foot odour. Happily, a rumpled but still cheery greeting from under the duvet confirmed that the small, perky and strangely random mad professor is still amongst us. J, who already being the owner of a fledgling teenager, has experience in such matters, assures me we have until they’re at least fifteen before the fun really starts. Phew. Anyhoo, the little sod tried to find something nice and difficult for his birthday cake but luckily, having a blog has its privileges and none other than Martin Dwyer, Waterford Superchef Extraordinaire, stepped up to the line with a fantastic recipe and bailed me out. I’m not worthy:
Martin Dwyer’s Chocolate Meringue Recipe
4 large eggs, separated
Pinch salt
Pinch Cream of Tartar
8oz golden caster sugar
1tsp cornflour
1tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cocoa, sieved
Whisk the egg whites with the salt and the Cream of Tartar until stiff. Add your sugar spoonful by spoonful until glossy and it holds a peak when you lift out the beater. Stir the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla together to dissolve the cornflour and whisk into the meringue. Add your finely sieved cocoa and stir in.
Draw around two dinner plates (or 3 tea plates) onto baking parchment, place onto baking trays and dollop on your mixture, smoothing it out roughly to the edge of your circles. Bake at 150 degrees/gas mark 2 for about 45 minutes, then just turn the oven off (door ajar) and leave to cool.
My chocolate creamy custardy stuff:
I was going to do Nigella’s recipe for chocolate crème patissière but honestly, it’s so bloody complicated I couldn’t be bothered. So I bunged a few things together and it worked okay. The only trouble is, I’m not exactly sure what I did, so I’m not absolutely guaranteeing that I could repeat it. I apologise for the verbosity of this recipe, but hey, if you’re my Disreputable Dad and not really interested, you’ll have moved on anyway by now. If you’re still hanging on in there, it goes something like this:
4 egg yolks left over from the meringue
100g caster sugar
¾ pint full fat milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
½ bar dark chocolate
Get yourself organised first (learn, as usual, from my mistakes) and have a clean saucepan ready, and a couple of inches of cold water in the sink. So whisk together your egg yolks, caster sugar, flour and cocoa. Whisk into a thick paste with a splash of the milk. Put the rest of the milk on to boil. Just as it fizzes up, pour gently into the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Add back in to the clean saucepan and heat, whisking, until it thickens up (or if it doesn’t thicken, whisk in a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with some milk), then turn off the heat and stir in your chocolate. To stop it getting a skin, it’s best to cool it by bunging the saucepan into the cold water in your sink and whisking. Once cold, store in the fridge, covered in clingfilm. To assemble, sandwich your layers of meringue with the chocolate custardy stuff and whipped cream, adding raspberries, strawberries, grated chocolate…hell, whatever you fancy.
So Happy birthday #1, thanks for not turning into Kevin just yet. And thanks to Martin. You’re a total ledge.
Comment by Natalie — April 27, 2008 @ 8:18 am
I LOVE pavlova. In fact I’m now having a pavlov’s dog’s type reaction and drooling on my keyboard just reading this. Though, and this may sound weird, I could take or leave the chocolate.
Comment by Thriftcriminal — April 27, 2008 @ 9:00 am
Thrifty: Yeh, how does that drool thing go? I’ve often needed to use it online but it’s hard to make it read right :0)
I’m not a big fan of meringue really, especially not the crumbly bits, but the chocolate one did have the benefit of the chocolate chewy stuff right in the middle. I agree though, better as Nats said, just meringue, cream and fruit. Yum.
Comment by englishmuminireland — April 27, 2008 @ 9:43 am
(he’ll know) and some time do tell me why, and what is; “a ledge”.
Comment by Martin — April 27, 2008 @ 9:52 am
Comment by englishmuminireland — April 27, 2008 @ 10:33 am
ROFL! I know that feeling! But I loved the teenage years, actually, and they do emerge from the other side eventually.
Wonderful job on the Pavlova! I’m impressed!
Comment by Jay — April 27, 2008 @ 10:51 am
Comment by englishmuminireland — April 27, 2008 @ 11:28 am
Happy birthday to #1
Got to say, I’m watching my nephews and nieces from the sidelines and it’s fun seeing them work things out as they get older and having a laugh with them along the way. None of them have hit the teenage years yet but there’s the occasional big sigh or rolling of eyes at the adults when we just don’t get ‘it’ (like duh!). It’s all yet to come…
Comment by wee jen — April 27, 2008 @ 11:41 am
Comment by englishmuminireland — April 27, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
Comment by Thriftcriminal — April 27, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
Comment by SUSAN B — April 27, 2008 @ 6:26 pm
Susan: Aw shucks. By the way, we watched ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ last night. Hawaii looks DREAMY! You’re so lucky x x
Comment by englishmuminireland — April 27, 2008 @ 7:24 pm
Comment by conortje — April 28, 2008 @ 8:45 am
Comment by englishmuminireland — April 28, 2008 @ 9:21 am
MWAH!!
Comment by jennynib — April 28, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
A great birthday treat! I’m sure #1 loved it!
Comment by Ruth E — April 30, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
Comment by Isitjustme? — May 1, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
Comment by englishmuminireland — May 2, 2008 @ 8:34 am