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Downton Abbey: Raspberry Meringue

Downton Abbey: Raspberry Meringue

Feast of Starlight
A recipe for Raspberry Meringue inspired by Mrs. Patmore from season one of Downton Abbey.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 4 -5

Ingredients
  

  • MERINGUE
  • 4 - egg whites large
  • 1/4 tsp - cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup - granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp - vanilla extract
  • PASTRY CREAM
  • 3 - egg yolks large
  • 1/4 cup - granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp - cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups - milk
  • 1/2 - vanilla bean scraped
  • 2 tbsp - unsalted butter
  • 1 pint - fresh raspberries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200F. Lightly grease two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Whisk the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. While it's still running, add the cream of tartar and slowly add in the sugar. Continue to whisk until the whites until the whites form stiff peaks.
  • Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1 1/2" - 2" pipping tip. Pipe 1 1/2" rounds on the sheet pan.
  • Bake the meringues for 2 hours or until completely dry and firm. Let it dry out more in the oven for another hour with the oven off.
  • To prepare the pastry cream, heat the milk, vanilla bean, and 2 tbsp of sugar over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the yolks, rest of the sugar, and cornstarch until combined.
  • Temper the hot milk to the yolks by slowly streaming in the hot milk. Whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. Transfer the mixture back to saucepan and place over medium heat.
  • Whisk constantly until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Remove from the heat and strain. Mix in the butter and cover with plastic wrap. Cool in the refrigerator or in an ice bath.
  • To arrange the dessert, crush some of the meringues to create a base. Arrange the meringue around the base and pour the cream in the center. If you find that the pastry cream is too stiff, simply mix it with a spatula until it loosens.
  • Top of dessert with fresh raspberries. You can finish the dessert with powdered sugar or caster sugar on top. Just don't put salt on it like Mrs. Patmore did!