CHRISTMAS SPECIAL | Rianne's Recepten, aflevering 24 (deel 2): Eton Mess

INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION (serving A LOT)

Lemon Curd (Inspired by https://www.laurasbakery.nl/lemon-curd/, but as she says, it’s everywhere on the internet)
2 lemons (zest and juice – 130 ml)
200 g sugar
125 g butter
2 eggs

Zest and juice the lemons. Combine the zest, sugar and butter in a bowl and place over a double boiler (au bain-marie) until melted. Add the juice and stir to combine.
(keep the empty lemons for cleaning the bowl for the meringue)
Whisk the eggs. Add a little bit of the lemon curd to the eggs, and whisk through, before adding the eggs to the curd. Keep stirring.
Keep stirring until the curd until it thickens to about a yoghurt consistency. This takes about 20 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to test it.
Put the curd in a dish to let it cool. Cover it in plastic. Make sure the film touches the curd in order to prevent it from creating a skin. Let it cool to room temp before putting it in the fridge.
Airtight lasts for about 2 weeks.

Meringue
Inspired by https://rutgerbakt.nl/basisrecepten/b...
3 eggs (or only the whites actually)
100 g fine (!!!) granulated sugar
90 g icing sugar
Pinch of salt

Preheat a conventional oven to 100 degrees C.
Clean the bowl with some acid (from those lemons you had left over earlier). Separate the egg whites from the yolks. You’re not using the yolks.
Use a mixer with a whisk attachment to whisk the egg whites until they are white and fluffy. Gradually add the granulated sugar (and salt), while whisking, until the meringue is glossy and has stiff peaks. Fold through the sifted icing sugar.
Pipe (or make turds of) the meringue. Bake for about an hour. If they are dry on the bottom (i.e. you can get them off the baking sheet without problems) they’re done.

Ginger crumble
100 g flour
100 g sugar
100 g butter (cold)
2-3 cm fresh ginger

Preheat a convectional oven to 180-200 degrees C.
Combine all (except the ginger) in a bowl and mix through, crumbling the butter with your fingers.
Peel the ginger using a teaspoon. Cut in small pieces. Combine with the dough.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.

ASSEMBLY

250 ml whipping cream
Some thyme
Previous components

Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Assemble the eton mess any way you like, but I recommend doing a wreath (but putting it in a glass also works)