ScarlettPlum and Apple Meringue Tart
March 6th 2008 12:46
Plum and Apple Meringue Tart
About Plum and Apple Meringue Tar
Serve this fruity tart, with its soft, gooey topping, soon after it is baked so that the juices do not make the crust soggy.
About fat spread
A general term for fatty bread spreads (yellow fats), including butter, margarine, and low-fat spreads. Reduced fat spreads contain not more than 60% fat, and low-fat spreads not more than 40%, compared with 80% fat in butter and margarine. Very low-fat spreads contain less than 20% fat, and some as little as 5%.
About meringue
Meringue is a type of dessert made from whipped egg whites and caster sugar. Some meringue recipes call for adding a binding agent such as cream of tartar or the cornstarch found in confectioner’s sugar. Meringues are often flavoured with vanilla and a small amount of almond or coconut extract. They are very light and airy and extremely sweet.
There are several types of meringue, the sweetened, uncooked beaten egg whites that form the “islands” of Floating Island, the partly cooked toppings of Lemon meringue pie and other meringue-topped desserts, and the classic dry featherweight meringue. Several techniques produce these results: that used by most home cooks is known as a ‘French meringue’, and is described below. An ‘Italian meringue’ is made with boiling sugar syrup, instead of caster sugar. This leads to a much more stable soft meringue which can be used in various pastries without collapsing. A ‘Swiss meringue’ is whisked over a bain marie to warm the egg whites, and then whisked steadily until it cools. It is then baked. This recipe is often used for Pavlova bases.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 - 6
For the tart base
1 00 gm / 3½ oz plain white flour
1 teaspoon caster sugar
50 gm / 1¾ oz 70% fat spread, diced
1 egg white
For the filling
600 gm / 1 lb 5 oz Bramley apples
90 gm / 3¼ oz caster sugar
1 lemon, finely grated zest
½ lemon, juice
500 gm / 1 lb 2 oz sweet, purple dessert plums, such as Victoria
For the meringue
2 egg whites
80 gm / 3 oz caster sugar
1. To prepare the tart base, sift the flour and sugar into a bowl and rub in the fat spread until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Stir in the egg white to make a slightly soft, but not sticky, pastry.
3. Put the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds until it is smooth.
4. Roll out thinly into a 23-cm / 9-in round. Use the pastry to line a 20-cm / 8-in round tart tin with a removable base, pressing down firmly.
5. Trim the edges, then lightly prick the base with a fork.
6. Put the pas try case into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, make the filling. Peel and cut the apples into quarters, then core and cut them into 1-cm / ½-in slices.
8. Put the apples into a nonstick saucepan, stir in 50 gm / 1¾ oz of the sugar, the lemon zest and juice and 1 tablespoon of water.
9. Cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just soft and fluffy, but still retain some texture.
10. Halve and stone the plums. Pour 150 ml / 5 fl oz of water into a large frying pan over a high heat, stir in the remaining sugar and bring to the boil, stirring continuously.
11. Reduce the heat to medium, place the plums in a single layer in the syrup and poach for 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through, until they are soft when pricked with a knife.
12. Spoon the apples into a sieve and leave them to drain.
13. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the plums to a plate.
14. Bring the plum liquid to the boil and continue boiling until it has reduced to a thick syrup.
15. Pour the syrup over the plums and set aside to cool.
16. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 220ºC / 425ºF, and place a baking sheet in the centre to warm.
17. Line the chilled pastry case with foil, weigh down with baking beans, place it on the hot baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
18. Remove the foil and bake the pastry for a further 5-10 minutes until it is golden brown and cooked through.
19. Spoon the apples into the pastry case, spreading them out evenly, then arrange the plums on top. Set aside.
20. To make the meringue, put the egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks.
21. Add the caster sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition, until the meringue is stiff and shiny.
22. Spoon the meringue on top of the pie and spread it evenly over the plums, then make large peaks in it with a palette knife.
23. Bake the tart for 4-5 minutes until the meringue is golden brown. Leave it to set for 1-2 minutes, then remove it from the tin.
24. Serve the tart warm or at room temperature.
**From “Low Fat No Fat Cookbook”, “encyclopedia.com” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia” **
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