Meringa with Zabaglione and berries

Meringa with Zabaglione and berries (Meringue tarts with custard and berries)

Zabaglione (sabayon in France) is a warm custard often served with a baked Italian Meringue (meringa) and fruit. Instead of the large size meringa shown in the picture, it is faster to make smaller meringue cups to be filled with zabaglione and then topped with strawberries (fragole).

This lab takes place over three parts

1) Make the meringa/meringue

2) Make the zabaglione/custard

3) Assemble the tarts

Step 1 – making the meringa/meringue tarts

Meringa is Italian meringue, and it is characterized by the use of a simple syrup of sugar (that is – sugar dissolved in water) rather than using granulated sugar as in a traditional or “French” meringue. 

Materials

  • electric mixer or stand mixer
  • measuring spoons and cups
  • liquid measuring cup
  • parchment paper
  • regular spoon
  • baking sheets
  • kitchen thermometer

Ingredients for Meringa

  • 1 cup superfine sugar
    • For Superfine Sugar – Run one cup plus 2 teaspoons of white sugar in the food processor for 30 seconds. This gives you 1 cup of superfine sugar. (~the Kitchn)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 4 egg whites, at room temperature (save the yolks for the zabaglione)

Pre-lab videos – watch these videos before attempting the lab. 

Here is a video on separating egg yolks from whites

Here is a video on whipping egg whites to soft peak stage vs stiff peak stage.

Here is a video on heating sugar to the soft ball stage. Watch 3:18 through 5:14. Do NOT test the sugar with your fingers. You should transfer a small amount of the hot sugar to a bowl of ice cold water with a room temperature spoon.

Instructions for Meringa

When you see text in boldface blue font. You should document that step with a photo on your blog. 

You need to have the meringue ready for the hot syrup. Read ahead and plan out your steps. 

  1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and measure the temperature with an oven thermometer.
  2. Place the egg whites in a stainless-steel bowl and beat with an electric/hand mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form (the peaks flop over when you pick up the beater)
  3. In a small pot over low heat the stove, combine the sugar and water. Swirl the pot over the burner to dissolve the sugar completely. Do not stir.
      • Increase the heat and boil the sugar water to 236-240 degrees F – or thesoft-ball stage. At this stage, a small sample of the cold syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball. – WATCH VIDEO FIRST. The sugar can get very hot and burn you.Keep the mixer running and pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over the beaten egg whites. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy (peaks stay standing when you remove the beater)
  4. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, and trim the excess so the paper lies flat in the pan.
  5. Scoop spoonfuls of the meringue onto the parchment lined baking sheet and shape into cups or tarts using the back of a spoon bake for about two hours or until dry and airy.
  6. When the meringa are 20-30 minutes from finished – Proceed to the zabaglione
  7. Remove the meringa tart shells from the oven when they are lightly browned and dry – allow to cool.

References: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/06/basic-italian-meringue-recipe.html

Part 2 — making the zabaglione custard

Materials:

  • Medium saucepan with lid
  • a glass or stainless steel bowl that will sit on top of the saucepan and not fall in
    • (if you have a double boiler, you can use that. That is essentially what we are making)
  • Whisk
  • Measuring spoons

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup of superfine sugar (you can buy superfine sugar, or you can’t pulverize regular white sugar in a food processor)

For Superfine Sugar – Run one cup plus 2 teaspoons of white sugar in the food processor for 30 seconds. This gives you 1 cup of superfine sugar. (~the Kitchn)

1/4 cup of Italian wine like Marsala or Vin Santo or a liquor like Amaretto (personally, the amaretto is my favorite).

Instructions:

When you see text in boldface blue font. You should document that step with a photo on your blog.  

  1. Put an inch of water in a clean, medium saucepan. Cover with a lid and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and maintain at a simmer (or do the same in a double boiler)
  2. In a glass or stainless-steel bowl that will sit on top of the sauce pan without falling in, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and wine/liquor.
  3. Place the bowl on the saucepan and whisk constantly while the mixture heats. (This requires some patience. You don’t want to make scrambled eggs, so DO NOT OVERHEAT!)

Read the following detailed description of making Zabaglione from Serious Eats: 

“Place the bowl over the simmering—not boiling—water and keep whisking. Remember to always keep the mixture moving in an up-and-over motion. The goal is to incorporate air into the [zabaglione]  as you cook those yolks. Monitor the water by occasionally lifting the bowl up and taking a peek. If it is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, as a full boil may result in bits of cooked egg forming on the sides of the bowl. The [zabaglione] will start to turn thick after four or five minutes of steady whisking.

There are signs to look for that will signal it is almost done: The whisk will leave tracks in the [zabaglione] as it moves through it, and the mixture will start to come away from the side of the bowl, and it will mound easily. At this point, I start to perform my 8-second test: Lift the whisk up and let some of the [zabaglione] fall back onto itself. Count how long it takes before the fallen shape flattens, and when that point reaches 8 seconds, you’re done. Take the bowl off the heat and place it on a folded kitchen towel on the counter. Wait, you’re not done. Keep whisking. That’s right, keep whisking. It is necessary bring the temperature down a bit, which will help the [zabaglione] thicken further. “

4. Proceed immediately with the still hot Zabaglione to assemble the tarts.

part 3 – assembly

Materials and ingredients

Berries (sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc – or a mixture)

Spoon

Plate/bowl for serving

Instructions

When you see text in boldface blue font. You should document that step with a photo on your blog. 

  1. Put a meringa on a plate or small bowl (on a bed of pureed strawberries if you like) and pour warm zabaglione over it.
  2. Decorate with washed and dried berries

.

On your Blog

  1. Take photos
    • Of your fully assembled meringa with zabaglione and berries
    • Slice the meringa and take a close up of the interior of the meringa shell
  2. Post a video in which…
    • You describe the texture of your meringue/meringa shells and the texture of your zabaglione/custard filing.
      • Is the meringue light and crispy? Is it wet or droopy?
      • Is the custard smooth and slightly thick? Is is runny or lumpy?
    • Describe what went really well during your recipe making
    • What would you change if you repeated this process again.
  3. Type an answer to the following question(s)
    • What chemical changes occurred when you made the meringue/meringa? What did you observe that told you these chemical changes were happening?
    • Overheating (too fast and or too hot) the zabaglione can leave you with “scrambled eggs” – a lumpy grainy mess of clumps in watery liquid. What is happening in this case?