Caramelised Coconut and Peppermint Meringues
Dictionary.com describes caramelised as: ‘to convert or be converted into caramel’. Regardless of someone’s level of culinary expertise or experience, to me, its common knowledge that anything caramelised, can be nothing short of heavenly.
The inspiration for this recipe came from a very old cook book, published in 1949. Cook books of this era were very much targeted to, not the enthusiast, but to everyday home cooks. The simplistic way they are written, is a homage to the ingredients current to that time period. There are no references to famous chefs and there are no uncommon items needed to be sourced. So if you are a basic cook, most of what you need will already be right there in your kitchen. From my experience, with really any kind of cooking, there is no better way to start, than to begin with the fundamentals.
And so the evolution of this recipe began with a basic meringue case with the added edition of rough shredded coconut, sharp peppermint essence and aromatic sweet vanilla. Baked on a very conservative 120 degrees celcius, these really are as light as a cloud, with the kind of crisp melt in your mouth perfection that is expected from a slow baked meringue. During the long baking process, the coconut toasts and caramelises as it soaks in amongst the thick sugarey egg whites, creating something so heavenly, it feels as though it should be declared as some kind of sort after delicacy.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be an advanced cook to make meringues. If anything, as long as you know what is required to create that perfect ‘stiff peak’, then you are well on your way to success. And with a quick google search, really anyone can master the art of egg whites.
Makes - six large meringues.
Ingredients
115g egg whites (whites from approximately 4 eggs)
210g caster sugar
2g fine salt
4g vanilla extract
4g white vinegar
4g peppermint extract
40g shredded coconut
Method
Preheat oven to 120 degrees celcius.
Place egg whites into a large bowl and set aside.
Combine caster sugar and salt in a small bowl and mix together. Set aside.
Combine vanilla extract, vinegar and peppermint extract into a small bowl and set aside.
Weigh out shredded coconut into a small bowl and set aside.
Using a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until they reach a ‘stiff peak’ consistency. Once you’ve achieved this consistency, the egg whites should be white, fluffy and hold their shape when the whisk is lifted up out of the bowl. If you have not made meringues before, I would highly recommend doing a quick google search to see some examples of ‘stiff peaks’.
For the first half of the sugar mix - add one tablespoon at a time, every ten seconds until you have used up half of the mix.
For the second half of the sugar mix - add one tablespoon at a time, every thirty seconds until the sugar mix is used up.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the liquid peppermint mix and whisk for approximately 3 minutes. This will ensure the mixture stays nice and thick, also ensuring that any caster sugar sitting on the sides of the bowl is combined thoroughly.
Add in the shredded coconut and lightly fold it in by hand until all coconut is thoroughly coated.
Divide mixture into six meringues across two baking sheets, 3 meringues per sheet.
Bake for 3 hours. You can bake them for 30 minutes longer if you want an even deeper caramelised colour inside.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
The essentials
Recipe inspiration sourced from
‘The Cookie Book’
Edited by Ruth Berolzheimer
Culinary Arts Institure, 1949.
