Aunt Ginny's Forgotten Dessert

This recipe was in high fashion in the mid-1950s. It works just as well today

Meringue
5 Large eggs, whites only (about 2/3 cup); reserve yolks for another use
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/8 teaspoon table salt, 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1/3 sup sweetened flaked coconut, optional


Fruit  Salad
1/2 cup dried cherries, sweet and/or tart, 3 blood oranges, segmented, juices reserved, 1 cup small chunks of fresh pineapple, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened in refrigerator 30 minutes before serving, if desired


For the meringue: Center a rack in the oven to 225 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. trace a 9-inch circle onto the paper; flip the paper upside down, so the tracing side is down. Set aside. Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the vanilla, cream of tart and salt. Whip the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually sprinkle in the sugar; beat until glossy and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, about 1-5 minutes more. Without delay, spoon large dollops of meringue onto the sheet pan within the traced circle's circumference to form a thick, tall ring. Leaving the middle empty. With the back of a large spoon, smooth the meringue mounds to even the circle. Sprinkle with coconut, if desired. Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringue is crisp, uncracked and dry to touch, but still white, although the coconut will turn light golden brown. (You'll notice that during baking, the 9-inch ring expands to about 10 1/2 inches, leaving about a 3-inch space in the center.) Turn the oven off; leave meringue in the oven overnight when ready to serve, gently lift the ring from its parchment paper. Transfer to a large serving plate. Serve within a couple of hours, otherwise cover loosely with foil to protect it from humidity.

For the fruit salad: Combine cherries and reserved blood orange juice in a large bowl; let soften for at least 10 minutes. Add the orange segments and pineapple. Sprinkle with sugar, and mix thoroughly. Spoon into the center of the meringue.

To serve: The delicate meringue is prone to shattering when cut. Gently saw from center of the ring to the outside edge with a long, finely serrated knife (which should be more finely serrated than a bread knife). If the meringue begins to crack, rinse knife under hot tap water, dry and then begin again. Spoon some fruit over the individual servings of meringue; if desired, serve ice cream on the side.

Per serving: 154 calories, 2g protein, 39g carbohydrate, 0g fat (0g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 57mg sodium, 2g fiber.


Source: San Francisco Chronicle SFGate.com Newspaper Food section, styled by Julia Mitchell