Whisk Kid

Baking delicious things in the Mitten State

Buzz – {Meringue Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd}

by

I don’t remember having a “blanky,” a “binky,” a “dolly,” or any number of “fill-in-the-blank-y”s growing up. Sure, I had my stuffed animals, but I never needed them to fall asleep at night. All I really wanted was a goodnight kiss, an open door and the assurance that the Slime Monster (Ghostwriter, anyone?) didn’t exist. After my parents left for their room, it was up to me to make sure that I didn’t scare myself into consciousness in the early hours of the morning, as I was an easily frightened child. In the darkness, I would convince myself of terrible things, imagining monsters behind my door or scary dolls beneath my bed. Waking from these dreams to shift into the reality of a room bathed in moonlight and shadows was never enjoyable; the simple fear of creatures in my dreams – the ones I knew were imagined – quickly changed into sheer terror when I was dropped back into a world I couldn’t control, let alone see clearly.


But it was reversible. I would squeeze my eyes shut and bury my head under my blanket, sure that if I couldn’t see whatever was clearly after me, then there would be no way that it would know where to find me. Sometimes I would cry and venture down the hall into my parents bedroom, but oftentimes even that walk was too much. There were too many doors on the way, and too many chances to be captured. It was usually a risk that I wasn’t prepared to take.

But I found that if I waited long enough, there would be noise. The heater would turn on and I would hear a familiar rumbling coming from the vents in my room. Or maybe the dishwasher would change cycles and the sloshing of water within would lull me to sleep. Occasionally I would even hear a train off in the distance, and somehow that was enough to calm my restless mind. Effectively sedated, I would roll back into my sheets and fade into happier dreams.

The sound was comforting.

I can’t explain it (of course, it’s probably got to do with that whole thing about infants being comforted by sound because it reminds them of the womb), but I’m happy for it. Now, with every clunk of the heater, every chugging rinse cycle and every rumbling train, I am reminded of those nights spent afraid in the dark. Of course, I’m not afraid anymore, but they still have the same effect on me. And, as an added bonus, they allow me to laugh at my younger self for being such a wuss.

It’s a win-win situation.


Anyway, it’s been proven that scent is the sense that we associate most strongly with memories, but I really can’t agree. Perhaps it’s because I was cursed with a poor sense of smell, and maybe it’s because I’ve got a thing for fighting The Man, but I find that sound is what bring back memories for me.

Yesterday, after filling up on ribs (awesome recipe! Please check it out!), sweet corn, coleslaw, baked beans, corn bread, potatoes and everything else under the sun, I wandered onto my Grandparent’s back porch to keep my dog company. Overhead were clouds and jetstreams, small in size and illuminated by sinking sun in the west. The sound of those planes overhead, though few in number and occasional in passing, always brings me back to their house. Hearing one at that moment made me think of summers passed in their yard, listening to the far-off hum of planes cruising from cloud to cloud overhead competing with the buzz of bees dancing from petal to petal. Summers spent planning naked steps to avoid thistles and pines while picking flowers and watching birds on Grandma’s feeders. Grass stains on my knees and twigs in my hair – for me, there isn’t a smell for summer. Not even cut grass.

What does it for me is the sound. Simple things like vehicles or animals, and important things like laughter and voices.

So I’m lucky. Because of that, I’m convinced that I will never forget the details of my childhood.

Even the stupid ones.

Meringue Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd adapted from Martha Stewart
I don’t remember how I came across this recipe, but I do remember thinking that I had to make them after seeing how ridiculously cute they are! The meringues are on the sweet side, of course, but they’re an easy to make and fun to serve, not to mention delicious and fun to eat due to the range of textures they present. Be sure to save your yolks for ice cream!
Printable Recipe

6 egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 c (350 g) sugar
Raspberry curd (recipe follows)
Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream and fresh fruit for serving, if desired.

Preheat oven to 225F (110C). Line every other cup of 2 nonstick 12-cup muffin tins with baking cups and coat each with cooking spray. Prepare a large piping bag with a coupler (no tip needed) and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites, vinegar, vanilla, and salt until frothy. Increase the speed and begin adding sugar slowly, a tablespoon at a time, beating for one minute after each addition so the sugar dissolves. Continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a plain coupler (no tip), and pipe into prepared baking cups, about 2 inches above rims, finishing with a peak in the centers. Bake, rotating halfway through, 3 to 3 hours and 20 minutes. (Cupcakes should be completely dry on the outside but still soft in the middle. A toothpick inserted horizontally at base of top should have moist but cooked crumbs attached.) Transfer cupcakes in baking cups to wire racks; let cool completely.

To serve, carefully cut off caps with a serrated knife and fill with whipped cream, ice cream, raspberry curd, fresh fruit or any other filling you desire.

Raspberry Curd via Martha Stewart
This is an incredibly easy recipe. It makes much more than you will need though, so I would advise you to halve it and save half the container of raspberries for topping the finished cupcakes.

1 container (6 oz or 170 g) raspberries
1 1/4 c (250 g) sugar
4 egg yolks
1 stick (8 Tbls or 115 g) unsalted butter
1/4 c (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Whisk all ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until slightly thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain; press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd and refrigerate until cold and thick.

Comments

  2. Liz says

    these cupcakes look so delicious! and i totally remember ghostwriter, my sister and i used to love watching it 🙂 memories definitely come back to me through scent. but reading your story about sounds makes me feel like i will pay more attention to the things i hear and see if the sounds bring back any memories.

  5. Anonymous says

    I had the same problem as a kid! I thought I was the only person to be weird enough to have that problem! My problem is now that at age 16 I still do the same thing sometimes and I become that scared little girl all over again :(<br /><br />Great recipe by the way, I had so much fun making it &lt;3

  9. Trissa says

    I had an overactive imagination as a kid as well – even today, I can&#39;t watch a horror movie as it triggers so many thoughts I&#39;d rather not deal with! But your cupcakes – well, that&#39;s what sweet dreams are made of!

  15. Kate says

    That blue is the perfect summer afternoon sky blue color. Love it! What do you use for your backgrounds? paper?

  17. Colleen B says

    ohhh this looks so yummy, My dad&#39;s bday is friday sooo looks like I have yet another excuse to experiment :O) <br />I also was a little wuss as a child :O) If I woke up scared I would picture myself in smurf village. Nothing bad ever happened at smurf village. Lol,It got me though the night :O)

  20. Elizabeth says

    Oooh, I&#39;m so making this. I think I have everything for it too…except the raspberries {but they are on sale for $1.00 a carton!} Stay tuned and I will let you know how they turned out. What recipe did you use for the whipped cream? Martha Stewarts?

  22. dessert girl says

    Wow! Your photos are amazing!! These kind of remind me a little monsters, but, you know, in a good way. I&#39;m thinking Little Shop of Horrors for some reason. That&#39;s a compliment, btw!! 🙂

  23. Mary says

    Your meringue cupcakes are the cutest monsters eating the berries and curd! I made some blackberry curd the other day, and always have egg whites, so these might just be on the agenda…

  25. Jessiker says

    Are you allowed to do that?<br />Make my mouth water?<br />Those pictures…wow…….. amazing. Usually I&#39;m more articulate but not very at the moment…

  26. genevieve says

    I have just come across your blog which I plan to follow religiously! I love dessert making, which makes up for my utter lack of skill or interest in making savoury food. Bring on the sweet stuff!<br /><br />Honestly though, your recipes are so unique and amazing looking, definitely the best recipe dessert source I have found so far! <br />No doubt I&#39;ll be giving this a crack in a few weeks

  29. Brenda says

    I agree with you that its the sounds that remind of the past not the smells.<br /><br />Thanks for the recipe it looks messy and delicious!

  31. Marty J. Christopher says

    I found this post through Pinterest. I love these and so want to make them! They would be a great dessert for Memorial Day weekend, too! I featured them on my Friday dance!

  32. Rachel says

    I just made these and filled them with fresh whipped cream, raspberry curd, and lemon curd. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing 😀

  33. Samantha C says

    i tried making these today and i failed D: for some reason the bottoms did not cook at all :L they were all gooey and not so nice @.@ help? :[ the tops were nice though :3 so we still ate them xD