vanilla & citrus zests puddings & meringues

meringues

• leave eggs at room temperature for 15 minutes then separate the egg yolks from the egg whites
• in a large bowl, beat/whip the egg whites with 1 pinch of salt and a few drops of lemon juice or white vinegar until frothy and set aside
• preheat the oven to 200°C
• pour the super-fine sugar onto a waxed-paper covered rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for 2-3 minutes to heat it up and remove when you notice that the edges just start melting (keep an eye on the sugar or it will burn)

note : super-fine sugar is not icing sugar; if your sugar is regular granulated sugar, then put it in the food-processor and pulse several times to make it finer; heating up the sugar makes a meringue which is chewy and tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside

• remove the hot sugar from the oven and lower oven temperature to 100°C
• carefully lift up the edges of the waxed-paper and slowly pour the hot granulated sugar into the frothy egg whites while continuously whipping/beating, until stiff shiny peaks form and add some vanilla extract too
• add the ½ tsp of citrus zests to the meringues and fold in carefully
• cover 2 baking sheets with waxed-paper and drop very large spoonfuls of meringue onto the baking sheets, spaced about 2-3 cm apart and sprinkle with the remaining ½ tsp citrus zests
• bake in the oven, on 2 racks for 2 hours (alternate the baking sheets after 1 hour and turn them around), then turn off the oven and let them cool down in the oven for an additional hour.
• store in an airtight container for up to 7 days

puddings

• while the meringues are baking in the oven, prepare the puddings
• heat up the milk with the scraped vanilla pods and bay leaves, at medium-high heat until simmering and remove from heat
• using a hand-held mixer, combine the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch until creamy, add the citrus zests and orange blossom water and vanilla extract (if not using vanilla pods or for extra vanilla flavor)

note : measuring cornstarch is easier with a scale; 1 tbsp of cornstarch will weigh 7,5 grams when loose or gently scooped and 9,5 grams when tightly packed !

• remove the bay leaves and scraped vanilla pods from the milk and slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture until well incorporated (pour it through a sieve first, if you prefer not having the dark vanilla seeds in the pudding) and add the citrus zests
• transfer back to the pot and on medium heat and keep stirring/whisking until the mixture thickens (about 2-3 minutes) then remove from the heat and start beating it with the hand-held mixer to smooth it out completely
• while still warm, quickly pour into 6 individual small cups (measuring ½ cup each) one at a time without stopping until each cup is filled to the rim (for a very smooth surface) and sprinkle with the remaining ½ tsp citrus zests
• let cool completely, cover each pudding cup with cling film and refrigerate.