Most recently I’ve made some Lemon Drop Meringue cookies and a batch of Anna’s Orange Marmalade. On deck first are the Lemon Drop Meringues – oh meringue-based cookies, why have I thus far forsaken you? Meringues are so delightfully easy and super elegant if you only have a piping bag handy.
Lemon Drop Meringue Cookies
6 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp lemon zest*
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment (or by hand if you have the biceps of a Hungarian shot putter) whip the egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt until medium peaks form. Then, gradually add the sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time, until it’s fully incorporated and the meringue is standing at stiff, firm peaks. Fold in the lemon zest and fill a pastry bag fitted with a cute little rosette or other decorative tip.
Pipe onto parchment paper (or a silicone mat) and place baking sheets (you should probably have two full baking sheets – very little space in between them is necessary as no expanding happens during baking.
Bake at 200 degrees for 1½ hours, changing the baking sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. After the time is up, leave the oven door closed, turn the oven off, and leave the meringues alone for 1 hour. After the hour, remove the pans from the oven and let the meringues cool on their sheets before removing (or tasting as the meringues, right out of the oven, will still have a slightly sticky texture).
There – easy as cake… well, easy as meringues. Give it time, it’ll catch on as a phrase ;) Also, this recipe can be halved in a pinch. In fact, I’ve only ever halved it.
*The large amount of lemon zest is as reflective of the volume of the whipped egg whites as it is reflective of the lack of other lemon flavors available. While you could use lemon extract, I doubt other flavorful ingredients would work – lemon oil would probably prevent the egg whites from whipping, and I can’t imagine that the acid from lemon juice would be good either – but I am always interested in getting the most intense flavor possible so I will experiment with these guys more. As it stands, the zest is certainly enough for now.
Next up is Anna’s Orange Marmalade. This recipe comes from the wonderful Ina Garten and, more specifically, from one of her Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. As it stands, I don’t think any other Food Network chef can beat Alton Brown in terms of entertainment or raw, animal, sex appeal, but Ina Garten comes close (on both counts). Say what you will, I have yet to make a Barefoot Contessa recipe that hasn’t turned out both beautifully and tasty – that kind of talent deserves respect. One of her first recipes I tried that really won me over was Eli’s Asian Salmon. Go on, find it online and check it out, it’s a wonderful party recipe, and the blend of Asian ingredients has lead to so many other amazing recipes I’ve created.
Anna’s Orange Marmalade
4 navel Oranges, preferably juicy and seedless
2 lemons
8 cups sugar
Cut the oranges and lemons in half cross ways. Then slice them into incredibly thin half-moons and place, with any collected juices, into a large stainless steal pot. Add 8 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once the mixture has boiled, remove it from the heat and stir in the 8 cups of sugar until it all dissolves.
Leave the mixture in the pot over night. (Don’t you love when recipes have this kind of step? I feel like, at some point in the initial development, the original chef just forgot about it altogether… until the next morning at least.)*
The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, uncovered for 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. To check the doneness, place a small amount of the marmalade on a plate and put it in the refrigerator until it’s cool but not terribly cold. It should be firm neither runny nor hard. If it’s runny, cook it down a bit more. If it’s too hard, add more water.
Pour the marmalade into clean, hot mason jars and process in a water bath to preserve the marmalade. Stores for up to a year.
*I love asterisks. I should note that, at the time I publish this post, I am only at this step and have yet to finish cooking down the marmalade. It’s looking rather amazing though :)
