Meringue Ghosts

Have you ever seen a ghost? Well, I haven't. I have family members who have said they have. Our oldest son house sat one time and he claims our house is haunted. I have never seen anything unusual. My husband has never seen any ghost in our house until now. He saw many hanging out in our kitchen on my baking sheet. He called the kids to the kitchen to show them the ghost. He told them they had to be real quiet. They were quiet as my husband looked out the kitchen window. They looked out the window searching for the ghost. Then he turned and showed them how our kitchen had a few ghost hanging around. The ghost didn't stay around long since the kids ate them. The poor ghost were gone within no time. I'm unsure if they will return again this year. However, I have a feeling they will be back again this time next year.

Meringue Ghosts
9 egg whites
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp sugar 
1/8 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
4. Slowly add one Tbsp at a time of the sugar while beating the mixture.
5. Continue to beat the mixture until stiff glossy peaks form. 
6. In a large resealable food storage plastic bag, spoon half the mixture into the bag.
7. Cut one corner of the bag and pipe ghost shapes onto the baking sheet. Form a circle for the head and zip zap lines moving downwards for the body.
8. Insert two chocolate chips  into the circle head shape to form the eyes.
9. Bake the meringues for 45 minutes and check the mixture has set. 
10. Leave the meringues in the closed oven for 8 hours.

Recipe adapted from Pillsbury Easy Halloween cookbook #349.

One year ago..................................I made Vanilla Cupcakes.
Two years ago...............................I made Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

Ghostbuster!

Did you already know...................
-If more than one person sees a ghost, it is called a collective apparition.
-According to a 2005 Gallop Poll, one third of Americans believe in ghosts.
-Other names for ghosts are: specter, phantom, wraith, spirit, and apparition.

PPQ: Petite Pavlovas

     Last weeks, I made Creme Brulee for the first time ever. The main reason why I had never made it before was because I was afraid of the kitchen torch. Isn't that funny? I just would think about all the times my Mom would tell me not to play with fire. Then she went and bought me the kitchen torch one year for Christmas. I didn't use it because I needed the butane. So, the next year (I am serious that a whole year went by) my Mom bought me the butane. Then there was no excuse but to try it out. It wasn't as scary as I thought. I did think it was sort of cool. 

      Since I could make the Creme Brulee, then I figured I could make the pavlovas too. Don't worry I didn't try the kitchen torch on it. This weeks Project Pastry Queen pick was by Emily at A Gift Nutmeg. The pavlovas are not hard to make but please use caution when it is in the oven. It could brown too dark. 

     I will share something that surprised me. My husband liked it. Yes, my husband who doesn't eat fruit and occasionally the hidden vegetable liked this dessert. My youngest daughter likes the pavlovas. She keeps asking for the big marshmallow dessert. I took a vote if the family wanted a lemon filling or a raspberry filling. The raspberry won.

 

Petite Pavlovas with Raspberry Cream and Fresh Fruit
Meringue
4 large egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. With a pencil, trace four evenly spaced 4 inch diameter circles onto the parchment paper. Flip the paper over but make sure you can see the tracing.
4. In a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and the pinch of salt on high speed for 2 minutes. The meringue should have formed soft peaks.
5. Continue to beat the meringue at high speed, while adding 1/8 cup of sugar at a time. The meringue is ready when stiff peaks form.
6. Spoon the meringue onto the parchment paper using the penciled circles as a guide. 
7. The meringue circles should have a 1 inch rim.
8. Bake the meringue for about 1 hour. Check the meringues after 30 minutes to ensure they aren't turning brown.
9. After the meringue has baked, keep them in the turned off oven for at least one hour or over night.

Filling and assembly:
1/2 cup of raspberry or berry jam
1/2 cup of whipped cream
fresh blueberries, strawberries, or other fresh fruit.

Directions:

1. Mix the jam with the whipped cream. 
2. Spoon on top of the meringue and top with the slices of fresh fruit.

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen Cookbook.  
 **Use the left over egg yolks for Creme Brulee**

The inside of the pavlovas

Did you already know..............
-The dessert is named after the famous Russian ballet dancer 
  Anna Pavlova.
-The dessert was first created in 1926 after Anna Pavlova toured 
  New Zealand and Australia. 
-The desert is a meringue based dessert with a crisp crust but a soft filling.