Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (66 page)

They may be made way ahead of time.

½ cup egg whites (about 3 to 4 whites, depending on the size of the eggs; they may be whites that have been left over from some other recipe, frozen, and then thawed), at room temperature

Scant ¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)

Chocolate (see Note)

Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 225 degrees. Cut aluminum foil to fit two 12 × 15-inch cookie sheets.

In the small bowl of an electric mixer at moderately slow speed, beat the whites just until they are foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar. Increase the speed to moderate and beat for almost a minute more until the whites hold a soft shape. Continue to beat and start adding the sugar, one rounded tablespoonful at a time; beat for about half a minute between additions. When all of the sugar has been added, add the vanilla, increase the speed to high, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes more until the meringue is very stiff and the sugar is dissolved—test it by rubbing a bit between your fingers. (Total beating time from start to finish is about 15 to 18 minutes, but it depends on the power of your mixer.)

To hold the aluminum foil in place, put a dot of the meringue in each corner of the cookie sheet. Cover with the foil and press firmly on the corners.

Do not let the meringue stand. Fit a large pastry bag (preferably at least 15 to 16 inches long) with a
plain round tube, size #8 (⅝ inch in diameter). Fold down the top of the bag to form a deep cuff on the outside. Support the bag by placing it in a tall, narrow jar or glass. Using a rubber spatula, transfer all of the meringue to the bag. Unfold the cuff and twist the top of the bag closed.

On one piece of the prepared aluminum foil shape the mushroom stems first. You will need a wet knife—rest a small sharp knife in a glass of water. Hold the bag at a right angle and close to the foil. Squeeze from the top of the bag to press out the meringue gently, while slowly raising the bag straight up. The base of the stem should be a bit wider for support. Keep the stem as straight as possible. Hold the bag upright and steady with your left hand and, with your right hand, shake—do not dry—the knife and use it to cut the meringue away from the tube, cutting flush with the tube. The stems may be about 1 to 1 ¾ inches high (the taller they are, the more difficult), but they may vary as real mushroom stems do. They should be placed ¾ to 1 inch apart on the foil. (Some of the stems may fall over on their sides during baking, so it is a good idea to make a few extras to be sure that you wind up with a stem for each mushroom cap.)

Strain cocoa through a fine strainer lightly over the stems to imitate soil and natural mushroom coloring. The stems will bake on the higher rack.

On the other piece of foil shape the mushroom caps. Holding the bag straight up and close to the foil, press on the top of the bag to press out even rounds of the meringue. The caps should be placed about ¾ inch apart. The caps may average about 1 to 1 ¾ inches in width and ¾ inch in height, but they may also vary as real mushroom caps do. Sharply twist. Release pressure on the pastry bag and slowly and carefully move the bag off to a side of the mushroom cap to avoid leaving a peak on the top—the tops should be as smooth as possible.

Strain cocoa lightly over the caps. These will bake on the lower rack.

The measurements I have given are approximate—don’t worry about them. Smaller or larger mushrooms are equally attractive. Even Mushroom Meringues with crooked stems or with a slight point on the cap will look great when finished.

Bake for 1 hour or a bit longer depending on size, until the meringues may be easily lifted from the foil and the bottoms are firm to the touch. The longer they bake the drier they are—and the better—but they should not be allowed to color (it affects the taste). Turn the oven off, prop the oven door open a little, and let the meringues dry out even more in the turned-off oven.

When they are cool, remove the meringues from the foil. They may be placed on a clean piece of foil, on wax paper, or on a tray. If the tops of the stems are not flat, immediately, while the meringues are very crisp, use a finely serrated knife or a sharp paring knife to gently saw (cut) any points off the tops of the stems; the top of each stem should be parallel with the base.

The baked tops and stems may be kept uncovered at room temperature for weeks before they are “glued” together with chocolate.

One ounce of chocolate will be needed for every 5 mushroom caps if they measure 1 ¾ to 2 inches in diameter. Using this formula, figure how much chocolate you will need. Cut the chocolate coarsely and place it in the top of a small double boiler over warm water to melt slowly on low heat. When almost melted, remove from the heat and stir until completely melted and smooth.

Hold a mushroom cap upside down. With a demitasse spoon (or any other small spoon) spread a layer of chocolate over the bottom of the cap, spreading it just to the edge. It should be thin but not too thin. Place a stem upside down on the chocolate.

Now the mushroom must stand in that position, upside down, until the chocolate hardens completely. There are several ways to do this. The inverted mushrooms will rest securely in small cordial glasses, small brandy snifters, small egg cups, or in an empty egg carton—it will depend on their size.

If you have used real chocolate (see Note) carefully place the mushrooms in their cordial glasses or egg cups or whatever in the freezer or refrigerator only until the chocolate is firm.
Do not freeze mushrooms after the chocolate has hardened
—it will cause the finished mushrooms to come apart. Remove and store at room temperature.

Do not cover the mushrooms airtight. I have kept them for weeks and longer in open straw baskets in an air-conditioned room. They become drier, crisper, and better.

Serve the mushrooms either standing upright on a platter, or tumbled in a basket like real mushrooms, which these will resemble to an unbelievable degree. (Try a napkin-lined basketful as a centerpiece—at dessert time pass it around.)

The number of mushrooms this recipe yields will depend on their size—approximately 24 rather large or 36 medium. If you want more, prepare and bake one batch, and then repeat; meringue should not stand around any longer than necessary before baking.

NOTE:
Almost any chocolate may he used for this recipe. But I definitely recommend a compound (“imitation,” or the kind that does not have to be tempered; see page 5 for a description and a mail-order source). It will never discolor and the mushrooms may be kept for weeks or even months. Compound chocolate will harden quickly at room temperature and it will not be necessary to chill the mushrooms in order to set the chocolate. Other chocolates, or “real” chocolates, are liable to discolor after a day or two unless the chocolate has been tempered. However, if the meringues are to be served the day the chocolate is applied, use any semisweet.

Black Bottom Pie

8
P
ORTIONS

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
The Yearling,
also wrote a delightful cookbook.
Cross Creek Cookery
(Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1942), which is a mouth-watering account of the food served in her home in central Florida. In it, she says of her Black Bottom Pie, “I think this is the most delicious pie I have ever eaten … a pie so delicate, so luscious, that I hope to be propped up on my dying bed and fed a generous portion. Then I think that I should refuse outright to die, for life would be too good to relinquish.”

My recipe is slightly different from Mrs. Rawlings’, but my sentiments are the same.

CRUST

This is traditionally made with bought gingersnaps, but since I often want to make it when I don’t have gingersnaps, I do it the following way. (You could substitute gingersnap crumbs for the graham-cracker crumbs, ginger, and cinnamon.)

1¼ cups graham-cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 ounces (½ stick) sweet butter

Adjust rack to the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl mix the crumbs with the sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and stir with a rubber spatula, pressing the mixture against the
sides of the bowl until well mixed. The mixture will look crumbly but it will hold together when pressed into the pie plate.

Use a 9-inch glass pie plate and follow the directions for lining it with aluminum foil and for baking it, chilling it, and removing the foil (see page 176).

FILLING

2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate

1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin

¼ cup cold water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Salt

4 eggs (graded large or extra-large), separated

1½ cups milk

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar (see Note)

Melt the chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Remove the top of the double boiler and set it aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.

In a small cup sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and set aside.

In a small bowl mix ¾ cup (reserve remaining cup) of the sugar with the cornstarch and a pinch of salt. (It should be well mixed.) Set aside.

In the top of a large double boiler stir the egg yolks lightly with a small wire whisk or a fork just to mix.

Scald the milk uncovered in a small, heavy saucepan over moderate heat until you see small bubbles or a wrinkled skin on the surface. Stir in the sugar-cornstarch mixture and pour very slowly, in a thin stream, into the yolks—stirring constantly.

Place over, but not touching, hot water in the bottom of the double boiler on moderate heat. Cook, stirring gently and scraping the pot with a rubber spatula, for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the custard thickens to the consistency of a medium cream sauce. Remove the top of the double boiler from the hot water.

Remove 1 cup of the custard and set it aside to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir it occasionally until it is tepid.

Meanwhile, to the remainder of the custard in the top of the double boiler, immediately add the softened gelatin and stir until thoroughly dissolved. Stir in the rum and set aside.

Gradually add the 1 cup of reserved, tepid custard to the chocolate, stirring constantly with a small wire whisk. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Add the vanilla, stir, and turn the mixture into the prepared crust. Spread level and refrigerate.

In the small bowl of an electric mixer at moderately high speed, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and the cream of tartar until the mixture increases in volume and starts to thicken. While beating, gradually add the reserved ¾ cup sugar and continue to beat until the mixture holds a shape—not stiff; it should be the consistency of thick marshmallow sauce.

Gradually fold the rum custard (which may still be warm) into the beaten whites. If necessary, pour gently from one bowl to another to insure thorough blending.

Pour the rum mixture over the chocolate layer, mounding it high in the center. (If there is too much filling and it looks like it might run over, reserve some at room temperature. Chill the pie in the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator for a bit longer, to partially set the filling. Then pour on the reserved portion and it will not run over.)

Refrigerate the pie for 2 to 3 hours. Then prepare the following whipped cream.

WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup confectioners sugar

1 scant teaspoon vanilla extract

In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, whip the above ingredients until the cream holds a shape. (It should be firm enough for easy serving, but it tastes better if it is not really stiff.) Spread the cream evenly and smoothly over the filling. Or use a pastry bag fitted with a rather large star-shaped tube and form a heavy ruffled border of the cream.