(Refined Sugar Free) Ginger Meringue Layer “Cake” with Strawberry Rhubarb Puree.

Meringue is one of my favorite things to make. Each time watching those delicate egg whites change just fascinates me to no end.  But Meringue with white sugar.. ick. Its just not for me anymore.

Origionaly I made this recipe using white sugar – and in every way it was perfect. But it was so sweet it made me want to gag.  My taste buds have changed and I no longer want it. (Pretty amazing really).

So I made it again- and then again. And I was quite pleased with the results I had using Coconut/Palm Sugar. I did my testing on a hot day- so the whites did not whip quite as high and the end texture was just a little different than I had anticipated. But..  it was really good. The Palm Sugar gave it a golden brown hue and a wonderful caramel flavor.

If you have never had meringue before- the best way I can think to compare the texture is to Cotton Candy- but with a crunch. It has a nice airy crispiness as you bite into it- which soon after melts in your mouth.

This was my first time working with Rhubarb-  I didn’t want to follow the traditional path and make a pie or crisp- while those classics are without question incredibly good- I knew there were already about a million rhubarb pie recipes online. So why post another?

I made this instead. Ginger + Rhubarb + Strawberries are a match made in heaven.   So I added some ginger to the Meringue.

A few things to note- as I mentioned above this meringue did not form peaks as stiff as the white sugar meringue. Was this due to the hot day? Or did the unrefined sugar change my end result? I can’t give you a surefire answer. I’ll need to research and test some more to find out. I’ll be sure to share this once I figure it out. I also noticed that the meringue shrunk just a bit in the oven. I was concerned by this until I tasted it… absolutely no harm done. 100% delicious.

I tried grinding the palm sugar in a coffee mill before adding it to the egg whites- I also tested adding the larger granules straight from the bag. I didn’t notice a difference between these two consistencies once it baked.

Meringue is easy.  Here’s the recipe.

5 Egg Whites at room temp.
1/3 Tsp Cream of Tarter
2/3 Cup Coconut Sugar
1/4-1/2 Tsp Dried Ground Ginger
(This amount of ginger is up to you- based on how strong you want the flavor- a little bit goes a long way!)

1. Preheat oven to 250. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or tinfoil. Trace  six 41/2 Inch Circles onto the foil or parchment to provide yourself with a guide for piping.
2. Place Egg Whites in the base of a large bowl or stand mixer and begin beating the eggs.
3. Once they form soft peaks- add the Cream of Tarter- keep whipping.
4. As the Meringue begins to form hard peaks little by little add the sugar ( 1 TBS at a time) and the Ginger.
5. Once fully incorporated- the meringue should be glossy and have hard peaks (though again these might be on the softer side)
6. Place meringue into a piping bag- using the largest tip – pipe the meringue into the 6 circles. After doing this use an offset spatula to gently smooth and shape them.
7. Quickly place them into the oven and bake 1 hour and 30 minutes  - 1 hour and 45 minutes. I found these took a little longer to cook than typical meringue.
8. Remove from oven when they are crispy to touch. Let them cool and gently remove the circles from the pan. (Do this by gently peeling them free)

(Pictured below is the underside of the baked meringue- the swirl comes from  piping the meringue in a circular fashion!)

Make the Strawberry -Rhubarb Puree.

In A Saucepan Combine 1  Cup Chopped Rhubarb, 1 1/2 Cup Strawberries, 1/3 Cup (give or take) Raw Agave Nectar,( Honey or other natural sweetener) 1 Tsp. Lemon Juice, and 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract.

Cook until the fruit is soft. Puree mixture. (or leave the fruit whole form – either will work)

Layer the Meringue Circles and Puree. You might also try adding Whipped Cream or Any type of Yoghurt to these layers. (I used almond milk yogurt!) Another option is to use the creamy fatty portion of Coconut Milk (From a heavy coconut milk can) in place of whipped cream.

As you can see- I topped my Meringue Cakes with Fresh Strawberries!

This recipe will make two – 3 layer meringue cakes!

Serve for Breakfast OR for dessert.

xo,

Brittany

Be Sociable, Share!

•