Sunday, June 19, 2011

it smelled like christmas

I made this dessert last week. A mini rhubarb compote pavlova. Meringue nest + rhubarb compote + vanilla whipped cream. My man thought this had ginger in it. It had a lovely, spicy, christmassy smell.




After a couple of attempts at roasting the rhubarb, I ended up using a recipe from the back of the most recent edition of Edible Vancouver. Much of this was inspired by Molly at remedial eating, Tara at seven spoons and Nigella (Lawson). My man thought it was delicious and spooned it up every night I served it - until I ran out of meringues.

Merigue nests (from remedial eating)
3 egg whites
3/4 c sugar

In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites to a soft peak stage. Slowly beat in the sugar until incorporated and keep beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Spoon tablespoon fulls of the mixture onto parchment paper, using the spoon to form a circle with higher sides and a depression in the center - a meringue nest. Bake for about an hour to an hour and a half at 250 deg F. Turn off the oven and leave overnight to dry out.
Keep in an airtight container.

Rhubarb Compote (from Edible Vancouver - Choices ad)
6 c rhubarb, roughly chopped
3/4 c honey
1 strip lemon zest
1 whole vanilla bean
1/4 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg
water to cover

Put all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan, then pour in enough water to cover. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.


Vanilla Whipped Cream - whip cream, vanilla and a smidge of sugar into soft peaks.


For each nest, place one merigue nest in a bowl. Cover the nest with rhubarb compote and top with a generous dollop of vanilla whipped cream.  Eat. Make more. Eat more. (If you are me, take out pants as hips will have expanded...sigh).

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