What is the secret of delicious meringue charlotte?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Among the huge number of pastries, apple pie always occupies a special place, as it is one of the symbols of the hearth, because what could be cozier than a cup of fragrant tea with a piece of fruit delicacy. There are many ways to prepare this dessert, so this recipe for charlotte with meringue (pictured) does not claim to be unique, but at the same time it combines everything that is pleasant for the taste: soft dough, tender slices of apples and an air cap of meringue on top, which gives the pie has a special charm. The nice thing is that this option is good for those who do not get the classic biscuit dough, which is often used to make apple charlotte. Here the base is kefir.

List of required ingredients

This meringue charlotte recipe includes traditional ingredients:

• 4-5 Antonovka or Granny Smith apples;
• six eggs;
• one glass of yogurt and flour each;
• 1, 5 cups granulated sugar;
• one st. l. lemon juice;
• 1 tsp (no slide) soda;
• vanilla on the tip of a knife;
• a little butter forsmearing the mold.

Preparing dough

In order to cook charlotte with meringue and apples, the first step is to prepare the apples: peel them from the skin and seeds, cut them into long thin slices and sprinkle with lemon juice: thanks to this, the pulp of the fruit will not darken from prolonged exposure to oxygen.

Next, separate two eggs into whites and yolks: send the whites to a cool place to cool (it will be easier to beat them), and combine the remaining yolks with four eggs and beat with a glass of sugar into a light foam. It is not necessary to turn this mass into a sponge cake base when the beaten eggs triple in volume, becoming a thick foam. This is great, but not necessary: for this meringue charlotte recipe, all it takes is for the sugar to melt and form a smooth consistency with the eggs.

Then add kefir and soda to this mass. It is worth noting that in such a recipe, kefir can be replaced with sour cream or fermented baked milk, if it turned out that it was not available. Mix the mass thoroughly and pour in the flour in small portions, after sifting it with a sieve. Knead the dough, which will resemble dough for pancakes or thick sour cream.

Forming and baking

Next, the dough for charlotte with meringue must be combined with apples, gently stirring with a spoon so that it evenly covers all the pieces. Lubricate the baking dish generously with oil, while it is recommended to use a detachable one, then the finished cake will be much easier to remove from it without damaging the delicatemeringue.

Put the dough into a mold, smooth the top with a spoon and send the charlotte to the oven, heated to 190 degrees. Bake almost until ready, which usually takes no more than 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the layer and the power of the oven). Then place whipped egg whites on top of the pie layer, forming small peaks with a spoon, which will give the finished product a festive look. Return the charlotte with meringue to the oven for another 8-10 minutes, increasing the temperature to 200 degrees. After this period, the baking is ready. We need to give it time to cool down and we can make tea!

How to make meringue?

To prepare meringue for charlotte, you need to beat the chilled proteins with a small pinch of s alt into a thick, multiply increased mass, adding granulated sugar (0.5 cups) in the process. It is also advisable to add vanilla for flavor and make sure that the finished whipped mass keeps its shape perfectly. How do I know if the consistency is right?

Elementary: turn the meringue bowl upside down - the whites should stay in place and not lose the peaks formed by the spoon. The resulting whipped mass can be spread on the charlotte with a spoon, lifting it slightly up (a sharp peak will form - a peak), or you can use a confectionery syringe (or bag) and a curly nozzle to deposit curls or small rosettes. When the meringue browns during the heat treatment, it will look delicious.

Some tips for successful baking

To charlotte with meringuehad a more refined taste, you can add the grated zest of one orange to the dough along with apples - you will get an amazing aroma. You can also add cinnamon along with fruit slices - this is a classic combination for baking with apples.

In order for the charlotte to bake well inside, but at the same time not to have a too fried crust, it is important not to make it high: it is better to choose a shape with a larger diameter and cook a cake 5-8 cm high than to have a tall half-baked product. Considering that in this version of charlotte the meringue peaks add volume, it is better to make the dough base itself no more than four centimeters: the cake will bake twice as fast, which will save time.

Some people don't peel the fruit when making apple pies, arguing that there are a lot of vitamins there, and even during the baking process it still becomes soft. Perhaps, but when the pieces of apples are not fixed with the skin, they bake better, forming a kind of piece of confiture in the dough, and the skin spoils this impression, and sometimes deforms the surface. Therefore, do not be lazy, because peeling apples takes no more than two minutes.