Story, recipes and photographs by Ellen Easton
Having a tea party is a lovely way to honor all the women who are helping to make this world a better place. Remember, store bought or homemade, the best menu is created with love. Mother’s Day should be every day. Celebrating the women who raise children is not limited just to the women who give birth. Any woman who takes the time to nurture and oversee the well-being and development of another, often sacrificing her own needs and dreams, deserves distinctive recognition. We would not be who we are without these wonderful people. I honor my own mother, Reva Paul, with a special thank you, love and appreciation for not only introducing me to afternoon tea, but for sharing her confectionary artistry to teach me all that I know.
Here you’ll find printable recipes for my meringues
Meringues ©Ellen Easton
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
½ cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or flavor of choice
Food coloring and ½ teaspoon rosewater (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick sheet. In a clean, dry bowl, at a high speed, beat the egg whites. Slowly add in the sugar and vanilla until shiny, stiff peaks form. With a pastry bag, pipe the mixture into kisses or in circular motions into the shape of a multilayered circle to form a hollow nest on the baking sheet. Bake for one hour, until crisp. If the meringue looks too dark, turn off the oven and allow to crisp inside the cooling oven.
Before baking you can be inventive, adding flavorings, cocoa, coconut flakes, chocolate bits, dried fruit bits, edible flowers or nuts to the batter. You can also add a drop of food coloring to change the color and colored sand sugar to dust the top.
Meringues are also used to make small finger as well as kiss shapes. The baskets and cups may be used to hold berries, fillings and ice cream. The fingers and kisses may be served as is, or they may be filled with jam, chocolate ganache and other fillings and served closed. Meringue can also be crumbled to sprinkle on top of other desserts or berries.
Basic buttercream icing by Ellen Easton ©All Rights Reserved
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature (use vegetable shortening when pure white icing is needed)
¼ cup milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other desired flavoring
1 pound (boxed) confectioner’s sugar
Pastel food coloring (to color icing)
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix at a low speed until smooth. If stiffer icing is needed or the weather is very warm, add a little extra sugar. To create pastel colors, divide icing into separate bowls. For each desired color, add one drop of color at a time, using a toothpick, and mix until desired color is reached. Yields 3 cups.
