DISH | cherry meringue two ways

In case it isn’t abundantly clear, blogging is quickly becoming an obsession. Sure there’s the huge time commitment from the many hours redesigning and developing recipes but it’s quickly becoming more of an identity than I ever thought possible. And that’s got me thinking. When did cooking become my passion? What is the future for eathalifax? Who am I in the kitchen?

Today was no different. After snagging a pint of local cherries from Noggins, my local seven-days-a-week-farmer’s market, it was off to the kitchen to let the magic happen. With summer in full effect and temperatures steadily hovering around 30, a light dessert was all I would consider. Noticing some egg whites all alone in the fridge, meringue seemed like the natural choice.

And, yes, I can simply jam those egg whites in Big Red and follow my instincts. Perhaps that sounds crazy but that’s just how I’ve always done it. It was finally time to slow down, measure, and take a minute to ponder just why I’m here doing what I’m doing.

Now this is simply a recipe for cherry meringue with which I made two dishes: mini cherry pavlovas and cherry eton mess. For both you will need to macerate the cherries. Simply pit the cherries then roughly chop/mash them with a sprinkle of sugar. Let them sit to release their juices. When the meringue is cool, you can make some whipped cream. A great trick I somehow stumbled upon during my tree planting days, most likely because the beaters were dirty, is to make it in the food processor. Simply add the cream and turn it on. Sprinkle in some sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla (both to taste) and process til thick. You can even even hear the point when it is ready; it becomes quieter and you no longer hear liquid sloshing around. It’s quite amazing actually. But be warned. If you forget about it and it goes past this point, you’re on your way to butter. Though that can’t be a bad thing can it?

For the mini pavlovas, fill the meringue shells with the macerated cherries then the whip. You could even make a single layered pavlova if perhaps you wanted to attempt this masterpiece. For the eton mess, simply layer crushed meringue cookies or shells with macerated cherries and whip then repeat. I like to think of eton mess as a trifle’s naughty cousin, where the soft, delicate cake is replaced with the unexpected crusty meringue. It’s especially great if your meringue cracks or breaks. Whip this up and no one would know you planned anything but an incredible dessert. Garnish both with a cherry and prepare to impress.