I'm going to let you in on a secret. While Santa goes out to deliver gifts all over the spiral, he needs someone to stay at the north spiral door and keep an eye on things. Santa knows that this is no simple task, and so he selects the only person right for the job, Lydia Greyrose.
Professor Greyrose, Christmas in the spiral couldn't happen without you. I wanted to make something for you to say thank you for all that you do for us. Being a fairy, you are very light and airy, and being so sweet, you must love candy. Thus as a thank you, I've decided to make you holiday Peppermint Meringues!
This recipe couldn't be simpler. All you need is three egg whites, 3/4 cup of sugar, peppermint extract, peppermint sprinkles, and of course, christmas ice magic.
These first few steps ight require the help of an older wizard to perform, but this is a dish that the whole family can get involved with. First, seperate the egg whites into a bowl and add the sugar. The getly heat the bowl over a pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes.
Then add the mixture to a stand mixer. Alternatively, you can use an electric hand mixer. I tried this recipe with a hand whisk at school. You can try, but it won't be easy. You can spend hours whisking and beating those darn eggs, and they still won't be as fluffy and firm as they need to be. Please, if you really want to make this dish, use or invest in an electric or stand mixer. Your arms and patience will thank you.
Even with a stand mixer, these things take time. The real goal of mixing the eggs is to incorperate air. That's where meringues come from. a bunch of tiny bubbles building up on top of one another to form a foam which can be cooked and utilized with deflating. It can range based on the eggs and the day, but i find it takes about 15 minutes to form the foam to the point we need on average.
If you see that, you're golden. Take the mixture, and set it aside. Take a sheet tray, and cover it with parchment paper. Then evenly distribute the meringues onto the parchment. I find a spring loaded disher works awesomely for this, as the portions are equal, and it comes off easily. I only mention this because this mixture is super sticky! Be ready to scrape to get the last bits to form the last couple. i got 14 from this batch, but again, it will range.
From there, simply shake on as many sprinkles as you'd like. It's also worth mentioning, this dish is very open. You can change up the flavor or the adornment to suit your tastes. Go wild! The spirals the limit! Once you're all set up, move then to a 175 degree oven for 90 minutes. Why so long? Well don't think cooking. Think dry out. We want the meringues to be solid and something that can be held and bitten into. If we cook them at too high a temperature, the eggs become more cooked than dried out. Also, if salmonella is a worry of yours, don't sweat it! 175 is more than enough to kill the nasty bacteria, and they met much higher heat in the double boiler. Once they're out of the oven, resist the urge to pick them up. They need a little time to set. If you try and pick them up now, they'll be soft and may leave bits behind.
So there you go. Thank you Professor Greyrose, for making Christmas in the spiral possible. I've already sent you a big tin of meringues. Check your gift box after you're done reading this. You'll see them. And thank you my fellow wizards and pirates. As this year comes to a close, and we come closer together, I wanted to make a festive dish post. I intended to write this sooner, but you know how busy the season is. Consider it a present left under the tree, much like santa, late on christmas eve night. Now i'd better pull off in my sleigh, as i've places to be as well. And until then,
Foodies of The Spiral, Happy Holidays
- Carlos
