meringue Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Whole Meyer Lemon Bars with Toasted Meringue

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 00:00:45 +0000

I’ve been working hard the last few weeks on finishing up projects, working on posts for Breadin5, and helping my kids with distance learning (which seems like another full-time job). I haven’t had much time to bake from some of the beautiful cookbooks I received the last few months, but I finally was able to sneak in some time and made these beautiful meyer lemon meringue bars from Susan Spungen’s new cookbook Open Kitchen. Susan’s book is about the “concept of ‘get-ahead cooking.’ Once you discover the joy of getting ahead, you will be come a planner even if you never were before…[c]ooking is how you learn to be a good cook. Just like everything else, cooking is a practice, so as you keep cooking you’ll find yourself getting more and more comfortable and better and better at it.” **** A few things: *My friends over at Pure & Clear are now offering delivery for their unique ice and crystal clear ice. They also ship nationwide. *My friend Jess recorded this beautiful song over on Instagram. *I watched the new Emma movie and absolutely loved it. It was perfectly quirky and charming. It inspired me to also reread the novel. […]

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s’mores ice cream cake

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 07:00:42 +0000

This recipe for S’mores Ice Cream Cake first appeared on my site in 2016. It’s from my book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book (affiliate link). I love it so much, I’m sharing again. ************************************ First of all, I want to say thank you, oh my goodness thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I had so many kind emails and comments and tweets yesterday; your support of my book is overwhelming. I wouldn’t have this book without that support, and I am forever grateful to you, dear readers. Thank you for following along here, and for being so wonderful. And, here’s a recipe from the book! Today happens to be my birthday, one that I am slightly freaking out about, as I seem to be getting close to large numbers I didn’t think were possible. I will be celebrating today, however, with this S’mores Ice Cream Cake. Making S’mores Ice Cream Cake This ice cream cake is on the extravagant side, with layers of graham cracker crumbs, two kinds of ice cream, and a toasty meringue top. I like to serve it in very thin pieces, as less is more for this dessert. It’s a showstopper for sure, perfect for […]

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chocolate ice cream cake with mint meringue

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 17:10:11 +0000

Chocolate Ice Cream Cake with Mint MeringueFor a slightly taller cake, use a Pullman pan (affiliate link) and double the chocolate ice cream. This recipe gives you directions for making the no-churn ice cream ahead of time and then assembling the cake. You can just pour the fresh made ice cream over the cookie crumb crust and then freeze, but you won’t be able to do the double layer of cookie crumbs because the ice cream will be too soft and the crumbs in the middle will just mix into the ice cream. ___________________________________________________________ Somehow we are already on the front steps of 2018. The door is open, and another January welcomes us in with a glorious smile, reassuring those waiting out in the cold that right inside, just through that open door, things will be better. The new year will bring hope, and change. So we resolve to evolve, and put our faith in the dropping of a ball, a countdown from ten, and then number one. Two weeks in, however, we realize it’s still all the same, January is December, minus the Christmas tree. The list of resolutions gets shoved in a drawer, we turn on the news […]

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crème fraîche cheesecake with chocolate ganache and mint meringue

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 04:59:54 +0000

Hello! I have another exciting giveaway for you (in addition to a recipe for a delicious crème fraîche cheesecake). Three more pieces of kitchen equipment that I absolutely love: Emile Henry mixing bowls, Mauviel Copper Sugar Saucepan, and a Lékué springform mold. The mixing bowls are pretty much a necessity in any kitchen, and this set is lovely, with three different sized nesting bowls. I use them all the time – for mixing, of course, but also for holding fruit and filling with chips at parties, among other things. The sugar saucepan is beautiful (I included it on my gift guide as well), and I find it to be a fantastic tool for making Italian buttercream. And the springform mold has been a game changer for me. I will admit I was skeptical about silicone molds when I was first introduced to them, but I have fallen in love with them after never having to worry about messy cheesecake sides. The mold peels away from the cheesecake every time, leaving perfect sides. Extra bonus: the cheesecake bakes on a white ceramic plate that is perfect for serving on as well, and I never have to have the stress of sliding […]

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Dacquoise With Blackberries and Cream

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 02:40:32 +0000

My new copper beating bowl arrived in the mail, and I immediately took it over to Zoë François‘ house and made her beat white egg whites by hand in it for this post. In between laughing and giving me dirty looks, she made this incredible dacquoise with blackberries and cream. It was so good we couldn’t stop nibbling on it all afternoon (after she made me wash all the dishes in payback). The meringue base here is on the sweet side, but the hazelnuts incorporated in the layers and tart berries in between balance it perfectly. Zoë mentioned this dessert would also work for Passover (you can check out her Chocolate Caramel Matzo as well), so here’s another dessert option if you celebrate. Dacquoise with Blackberries and Cream Inspired by the brutti ma buoni from Tasting Rome by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill Meringue 10 ounces (285g) hazelnuts, skin on (or you can cheat and buy chopped hazelnuts) 5 large egg whites Pinch salt 2 1/2 cups (285g) confectioner’s sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Whipped Cream 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 7 ounces (200g) blackberries Adjust an oven rack to the middle position […]

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Cacoa Nib Pavlovas with Berry Jam

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 05 May 2015 02:30:46 +0000

Sara Forte’s new cookbook, Bowl + Spoon, is beautiful, with recipes focused on simple, healthy ingredients served in the perfect vessel. I found her pavlovas to be a fantastic riff on the bowl: a delicious, edible bowl. Also, meringues with cacao nibs! Totally genius. (Also, thanks to the amazing Zoe Francois for making these pavlovas with me!) Cocoa Nib Pavlovas with Jam adapted from Bowl + Spoon by Sara Forte I’ve changed things just a bit from Sara’s recipe. Sara makes a French meringue (egg whites aren’t heated first, and the larger sugar crystals leave a little crunch) with mostly natural cane sugar, and I’ve made these a Swiss meringue with mostly white sugar (egg whites are gently heated, resulting in a more delicate texture). Either way will make for a delicious dessert. Sara also serves her pavlovas with mixed berries, but here in Minneapolis our berries aren’t quite in season, so jam was a great substitute. 4 egg whites, at room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup natural cane sugar good pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cacoa nibs Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In […]

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S’more Cake

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 02:30:22 +0000

I spent an afternoon looking through cookbooks with my daughter, and she immediately gravitated toward this s’more cake. So we made it. I used my favorite chocolate layer cake, then coated it in marshmallow-like frosting and crushed graham crackers. It was a sticky mess, as the delicate chocolate cake crumbled all over the frosting, the meringue did not streak into beautiful tall peaks as I had imagined, and then the top scorched under the broiler. I was just about to shelve the recipe when I tasted a small piece that had broken off at the edge. Instantly my mind wandered to junior high sleepovers where there was always a boxed mix and a can of frosting for midnight cake baking; summer camp nights with friends, singing around the fire and scorching our fingers while we gobbled down burnt marshmallows and melty chocolate, and that Friday afternoon in 10th grade when I started an epic cake fight in my American history class. There was confetti and smashed bits of cake covering everyone and everything and I was grounded from the car for weeks, but I never regretted throwing that first piece. In other words, this cake was amazing. Imperfection has an […]

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chocolate mini cakes with hazelnut buttercream

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:02:05 +0000

‘Life is just this way, broken, and I am crazy for dreaming of something else.’ – Miranda July This sentence stuck out to me today after a night of taking care of sick kids, another morning of -10 degree weather, more news of cancer and sadness, and a winter with no end in sight. Deep sighs, and one foot in front of the other. I made these little cakes a few days ago, when the sun was shinning through our windows and we were saying things like, ‘finally we are all healthy!’ and ‘this cold can’t last much longer!’ Dreamers dreaming dreams. Some beautiful things: Laura has a chocolate hazelnut torte up today, if you need a vegan and gluten free chocolate-hazelnut fix. Melissa made my chocolate bread and has exciting news. And, this article by The Onion helped me smile today. ‘You just have to keep carrying the flame inside you. No matter how hard it gets to be, you carry that g-d*m fire. It’s a hard world. Life is hard. But no matter what, you carry that fire, and you don’t let go.’ Chocolate Mini Cakes with Hazelnut Buttercream You can use pretty much any chocolate cake recipe […]

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meringues with rhubarb curd and rosehip

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:45:22 +0000

I’ve come here, several times now, trying to write this post. The things I want to write about, well, I don’t know what they are. Something brilliant, of course. I’d tie in Hemingway, since I just finished his book. I’d whisper lovely, thoughtful sentences to move you, and inspire you to bake and love and live. Or I could instead be quite honest; tell you that I’ve been so anxious, brimming with fear: of life, of death, and of everything in between. My mind feels like an enormous chalkboard, recently erased. I could peer at it and make out some words, but it’s mostly a mess of gray dust that will set off a coughing spell if I get too close. So maybe I’ll just tell you about these meringues: beautiful white circles glimmering on parchment! They are a lovely treat, a recipe from the amazing Zoë François. I had actually never made them before, and was delighted to find how easily they came together. One sweet-but-not-too-sweet bite will bring some comfort, and cheer hearts when words seem to fail. Meringues with Rhubarb Curd and Rosehip I used Ms. Zoë François‘ meringue recipe, which can be found here. It’s fantastic: […]

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