{Peach + Ginger} Meringue Pie Shortcake

Buttery Shortcake topped with your favourite jam or curd and pillowy clouds of meringue.

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 7 tablespoons (100 grams) butter
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (85 grams) sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the filling:

• approx. 1 cup jam or fruit curd (recipe for peach and ginger jam follows)

For the meringue:

• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup (170 grams) sugar
• Optional: 1/4 cup desiccated coconut

– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients – 

Equipment:

• Standing or hand-held electric mixer
• A 8 inch square or 10 by 7 inch rectangle pan, preferably with a removable base or 9 inch round springform pan, lined with baking paper

Directions:

Heat the oven to 180C (35oF). Line your chosen baking pan with baking paper. Go up the sides as well if you can to make life easier later. You can make a square or rectangular pan of traditional bars or go round and pretend it’s a pie. I’m all for pretending.

First we need to make the base and give it a quick bake to get it going before adding the other layers. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until well combined.

Mix in the flour and baking powder. Using lightly floured hands, press the base into the pan and pat out into an even layer.

Next we need to make the meringue. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks.

With the mixer running add the sugar a tablespoon at a time until all the sugar has been dissolved. If you want to add coconut then pop it in now and give it a couple of turns with the mixer.

Now that we have all our bits ready, pop the base into the oven to get going. Bake it for about 10 minutes until it looks dry on top.

Put the baking pan on a rack or trivet so it doesn’t cool too much. Spread the jam over the base in an even layer.

Dollop the meringue over the jam. Piping this with a large bag or a large zip-lock bag with the corner cut off is the ideal way to get it distributed evenly.

Use a spatula to push it together in a layer. Dab at it to form some attractive peaks if you like that sort of thing. Which we do.

Pop it back in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the meringue is pale golden and crisp on the outside. It may have some cracks. We are floating on a sea of meringue waves…

Leave the bars to cool completely in the pan. If your pan is springform or has a remove-able base then remove the bars before cutting. Otherwise cut them carefully in the pan and lift them out one by one. The first one might be a bit messy and you will need to eat it. C’est la vie.

Serve as a decadent snack or as a dessert. Or both.

Cook’s Notes:

• Use any home made or store bought jam or curd to make these bars.
• The jam layer does need to be soft-ish so the meringue will stick to it. Very firm middle layers can leave the meringue ‘floating’ on top and it will slide away when you cut the bars.
• You can make these bars in a round springform pan and serve in wedges instead of a pie.
• My preferred pan for slices like these with a delicate top are ones that come apart, either with a loose bottom or into two pieces that slot together. Otherwise cut the bars in the pan and lift out each piece.
• Make sure the bars are completely cold before cutting. It will give them time to set up and the layers to hold onto each other.

 – Store these bars in a single layer in an airtight container in a cool place like the pantry for 3 days. The fridge will cause the meringue to sweat – 

Adapted from Ladies, A Plate.

© 2017 The Winsome Baker. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.

Bright golden jam bursting with fresh peach flavour and a hint of ginger.

Ingredients:

• 250 grams chopped pitted peaches (about 2 medium)
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1/4 cup water
• 185 grams pectin added sugar

– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients – 

Equipment:

• Small saucepan
• Small saucer kept in the freezer
• Optional: candy thermometer

Directions:

Use a scale for this recipe. Jam setting and preservative qualities are dependent on the proportion of sugar used. Pit and chop the peaches. Leave the skins on. Put the peaches, water and ginger into a small saucepan with a heavy base.

Cook over a gentle heat until the peaches break down into a pulp. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Turn the heat up to medium high and boil the jam until it reaches the setting point. Stir frequently to prevent the jam from catching on the bottom. In this case the wrinkle test is the best indicator. every couple of minutes put a small spoon of the jam onto a cold saucer. Leave it for a moment and run your finger through it. if the top forms a skin and wrinkles, the jam is ready. I found this jam set to a thick but not too firm consistency around 102 degrees C which is below the normal point.

When the jam is ready, transfer to a clean jar and leave to cool.

Cook’s Notes:

• This jam is thick and may spit while cooking. As you stir or test the jam be careful to avoid being burned.

 – Store this jam in the refrigerator until use. Because it has not been packed into sterilised jars it should not be left on the shelf – 

© 2017 The Winsome Baker. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.