Friday, May 27, 2011

Daring to do it: Marquise on Meringue




(Sorry this post won't be as "well written" as usual... Time grew short, and Little Girl's birthday took precedence over the writing process...)




The May 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Emma of CookCraftGrow and Jenny of Purple House Dirt. They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a dessert they prepared at a restaurant in Seattle.


This was an intimidating challenge. Just looking at the recipe I was concerned... So many steps! So much time! So DAIRY!!! I know, there was a vegan alternative presented, but it just didn't seem like it would turn out "right" (at least not the way I wanted it to...). After putting it off for a long time, claiming to be looking for a time when there would be more people to eat it, Ifinally got down to business. I did spread the process out over a couple of days, which was actually really helpful.

The marquise itself consists of the chocolate base and the "actual" marquise. Neither one was particulartly hard, per se, just somewhat labor intensive. This dish is all about the texture being right, so I tried very hard to make sure that my cream whipped up well and the chocolate was smooth. In order to keep portions controlled, I chose to make my marquise (well, part of it anyway...!) in my brownie bites pan. The little squares would be easier to unmold, and would have the benefit of being smaller than I would likely cut portions for myself!
The meringue was a great recipe, unlike any I have used before. I had never disolved the sugar in the whites over heat before. It was an interesting way to make a smoother meringue, and I might have to play with that again! (It was, though, impossible to photograph, as one hand held the bowl and the other was mixing the sugar in the whites...!)

I chose to forego the nuts and caramel sauce reccomended by the hosts. As delicious as they sound (and I really do hope I find a chance to make them another time!), I didn't have it in me... The berry sauce I made was a combination of blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries cooked with the juice of one orange, a bit of water, a sprinkling of sugar, a little cinnamon and a splash of vanilla. The sugared berries were exactly that - the same variety of berries, tossed with some sugar for shine.


This really was an amazing dessert. The chocolate marquise had an amazingly smooth, rich texture, and the meringue's sweetness and crunch (because I made cookies) were a great compliment to each other. I also found the tartness of the berries to be a great accompaniment, so I was pleased with the choice I had made...!

Thank you, Emma and Jenny, for introducing us to this amazing, decadent, beautiful and delicious dish! This was like going to pastry school, except without the pressure, cost and competition!!


I highly recommend that you look here to see the wonderful creations created my my fellow Daring Bakers!

17 comments:

  1. Amazing addition of the berries, I'm sure they paired perfectly with the marquise. Great job Ruth!
    Wishing you and your baby all the best!

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  2. great job on the challenge! i'm sure the berries were a great foil to the rich marquise and sugary meringue :)

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  3. I too put this one off until the last minute, but it was worth it. I love the berries that you used instead of the nuts, they look delicious, but I would suggest you definitely try the nuts as they were really easy to make and probably my favorite part :D

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  4. I love the combination of berries and chocolate marquise, it sound so delicious. I think fruits go really well with the marquise. Marquise is very rich and sweet so fruit makes a nice contrast. You did a great job with this challenge. :)

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  5. The combination with the berries sounds delicious! Great idea to freeze the chocolate mousse in the small moulds. Congratulations on your challenge!

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  6. What a great idea for the mixed berries, they are a beautiful contrast to the chocolate. Great job on this challenge!

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  7. Ruth, I like that you used a berry sauce to lighten up this dessert. If you have never made spicy nuts, try them one day, they are great to snack on at a party.

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  8. I LOVED your use of berries..I found the caramel and nuts a tad too sweet..super delicious but sweet...
    I enjoyed making the meringue too..it was a weird expeience to "play" with egg whites and sugar...
    Happy birthday to your little one..

    P.S. I really love your posts and blog..

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  9. I left out the caramel and nuts as well. It seemed too much. Love the sound of your berry sauce. Well done. best, Sandie

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  10. Mmmm, crunchy meringue cookies would have been delicious with the creamy chocolate. Love the berry addition too. Nice job!

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  11. i love the addition of fruit! that would have gone so well with the smooth sweet chocolate and crunchy meringue. that looks amazing!

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  12. Chocolate marquise plus berries? A combination made in heaven!

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  13. I love the idea of the crisp meringue with this for texture. I think berries are the perfect accompaniment here, but I also want to make that caramel sauce! Great work!

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  14. I love the idea of pairing the marquise with fresh berries! Well done :)

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  15. What a cool idea to use a brownie bites pan! As someone who had to cut out the pieces from a huge mass of frozen chocolate, I can say that you definitely made an excellent choice. Love the addition of fruit, too! Great job!

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  16. Hhhhmmmm yummy. Great addition of the berry fruits, like to add fruits with such rich desserts.

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  17. I love that you incorporated berries into the marquise - definitely cuts the richness! IfI ever make it, that's the road I'm taking! Happy belated Birthday to your little girl!

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