Ingredients
Ingredients for sauce
- 1 lb red rhubarb
- 1-2 pinches white granulated sugar, to taste
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp butter, unsalted
Ingredients for the meringue
- 3 large eggs
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 2 cups sugar, super fine (you can use regular granulated, you'll just need to beat it longer)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Ingredients for whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
For sauce
- Slice the rhubarb crosswise into 1/2-inch slices; place in a mixing bowl and sprinkle sugar over it to lightly coat all of the pieces. Add a pinch of sea salt and allow the rhubarb and sugar to sit for about 1 hour.
- When the fruit has given up a lot of its liquid, taste to see if it is sweet enough—don't oversweeten, because tart rhubarb makes a nice contrast to the sweet meringue.
- Put the fruit mixture into a heavy saucepan with 1 Tbsp. water and cook at a very low temperature until you can run a sharp knife easily through a piece of rhubarb. Add about 1 tsp. of unsalted butter at the end. Set aside to cool. The mixture should be thick.
For meringue
- Preheat oven to 225° F.
- Beat egg whites with a mixer until they become frothy; add cream of tartar, and then beat on high until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, beating until egg whites no longer feel granular.
- Beat in vanilla and vinegar. Continue beating until egg whites are stiff and glossy.
- Form the two meringue layers needed for the schaum torte by placing a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and spooning the meringue onto the sheet in two 9-inch circles (you can trace these onto the parchment by turning over a plate and tracing the outline with a ballpoint—children love to take care of preparing the meringues). Use a wetted knife to smooth out the meringues.
- Bake the meringue for 1–1 1/2 hours, then turn off heat, open the door a crack, and leave meringues in oven to cool.
- In a small, heavy, dry skillet, heat sliced almonds, watching them constantly: you want them to become golden but not to become brown and/or burnt. When they have turned golden, pour them off onto a plate to stop them from cooking further.
For the whipping cream
- Beat cream with sugar with a balloon whisk; when it starts to thicken, add vanilla and almond extract. Be careful not to overbeat—your aim is to produce a soft, silky cream—not butter!
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