Alright, so in a medicinal haze, I must have signed up for "Pinterest". I say it must have been a medicinal haze because, while I don't remember doing it,there are now people following me and apparently, I'm following people I don't even know. For the most part, I'm not good at being followed or following and that's what Pinterest is all about. I think it kind of falls in to the category of being told what to do and, I'm pretty sure in that class, I got a "D". In fact, just driving behind one of those big construction trucks with the sign saying "CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE - DO NOT FOLLOW" at once increases my anxiety and makes me feel like a rebel. Seriously, I'll be driving along, minding my own business and, next thing I know, I'm staring at the backside of one of those trucks. What am I supposed to do? Pull over and wait until the truck is out of sight? Go around it, with no regard for oncoming traffic? Typically, I won't do either of those things so my brain switches gears. I start thinking about how I'm disobeying the sign and I immediately start to feel smug and rebellious. A stupid sign on a truck isn't going to tell ME what to do. After a few minutes, worry sets in; 'What if the truck pulls off the main road on to some road under construction. Will I follow it right in there? Then EVERYONE will know about me and think that either I can't read or that I'm some kind of rebel who just follows things because she can. It may have taken some time to get there but now we're back to the following bit and Pinterest.
After receiving several notifications that either I was being followed or I was following someone, I looked in to it and polled several people to find out what the big deal is about Pinterest. What was the big draw that had people turning in to Lemmings without even knowing it?
From the ten (or so) people asked, I received two different answers. First, they love Pinterest because 'you can put all of your internet "favorites" in one place'. Second, they had heard of it but hadn't signed up yet because they too could not figure out the draw.
Now, as far as putting all of your internet favorites in one place, isn't that what your "Internet Favorites" list is for? Yet even with that compelling argument, the believers would not be dissuaded. They love Pinterest and that's that.
Being who I am, I couldn't drop it. I needed to find out how and why this new phenomena had taken hold of so many people. Then, like the parting of the Red Sea, someone told me that I could somehow tie my blog in to Pinterest if I posted pictures with the entries. DING, DING, DING!!!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!
My blog is usually some silly reflection on an ordinary, every day happening. Recently, I threw in a couple of recipes just for kicks. I love to cook and am really good at coming up with a new dish that typically gets rave reviews. Unfortunately, I never write any of them down so I never make the same dish twice. Blogging seemed the perfect solution to that problem. And, if I toss in a couple of pictures here and there, it becomes Pinterest worthy!! I just love it when stuff like this comes together.
So I thought I would start with a recipe I made last night for Lemon Meringue Cake (pictured above) and now you know what Pinterest has to do with Lemon Meringue Cake!!
LEMON MERINGUE CAKE
LEMON FILLING
4 Tbls. Cornstarch
4 Tbls. All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 1/4 C. Sugar
1 1/2 C. Water
4 Egg yolks, slightly beaten (Keep the whites for the meringue frosting)
1/3 C. lemon juice
Grated peel from Lemons used to get the juice
2 Tbls. Butter (if Butter is salted, omit salt from the ingredient list)
Note: Make this part a few hours before you make the rest. The mixture will need to be refrigerated for at least an hour before it can be used.
In the top part of a double boiler, whisk together the Cornstarch, Flour, Salt, Sugar and Water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Then cook and stir for another 10 - 15 minutes. It should be very thick and sort of clear.
To temper the eggs, take a half cup of the hot mixture and slowly add to the egg yolks while continuously stirring. Take the egg mixture and add it back to the pan, again, continuously stirring. This is important so that the eggs don't 'scramble' in the hot mixture.
Continue to cook and stir for a few more minutes, remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and rind as well as the butter. Stir until the butter is completely melted/incorporated. Lay plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming on it while it cools. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
I started with a simple yellow cake recipe (Good Housekeeping cookbook), shown here, but you could use either a yellow or lemon cake mix and it would be just as good.
CAKE -
Preheat Oven: 375 F
Grease & Flour two 9" cake rounds
In a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer, add the following ingredients in order, making sure to fully incorporate after each addition:
2 1/4 C Cake Flour
1 1/2 C Sugar
3/4 C Shortening or Butter
3/4 C Milk at Room Temp (Skim, 1%, 2% or Whole work equally well)
3 Eggs at Room Temp
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (if you use shortening ONLY)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Beat on low until all ingredients are incorporated. Next, switch to medium speed and let it go for 4 or 5 minutes, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour half of the batter in to each prepared cake round and bake for 25-ish minutes, dependent on how your oven runs. If a toothpick stuck in the middle comes back clean, it's done. Leave the cakes, in the pans, on a cooling rack for about 10 or 15 minutes, then turn them out and let them cool completely.
Note: If you want additional flavor in the cake itself, add a 1/2 tsp of lemon extract or 1 tsp of finely grated lemon peel. I chose to leave the cake plain and found the buttery cake a nice complement to both the filling and the meringue frosting.
ASSEMBLY - PART 1
Place one of the cooled cakes on an oven-safe cake plate and, using a pencil or tiny dowel, poke about 15 or so holes in to the top of the cake, being careful to only go about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way in to the cake.
Scoop about half of the Lemon Filling on to the cake, making sure that the poked holes are filled. Place the second cake on top of that and repeat the process. Put the cake in the fridge.
MERINGUE FROSTING:
Note: For meringues, I get much better results if I use a stainless steel bowl that has been washed, rinsed and dried thoroughly right before using it.
4 Egg Whites
Pinch of salt
1 C of Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. Water
Combine egg whites and salt in a bowl. Beat on a fairly high speed just until the whites are stiff (meaning if you draw a spoon or knife through it, it leaves a well defined peak). Set that aside.
Pour Sugar and Water in to a heavy bottomed, small saucepan. DO NOT STIR. Over Medium-High heat, let the mixture come to a boil. While continuing to boil, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid for 3 minutes (the evaporation process in the pan will wash away any sugar crystals that might be forming). Remove the lid and let it boil for another 10 or 15 minutes until it reaches about 232 F.
Note: You can use a candy thermometer for this or you can take a clear glass filled with cold water and drizzle a little of the syrup in to it. If the syrup creates a silky thread on its way to the bottom of the glass, it's ready.
Turn the mixer with the egg whites back on a relatively high speed and VERY slowly, pour a fine stream in to the egg whites until all of the syrup has been added. The hot syrup, essentially, is cooking the egg whites without turning them solid. Continue to let the mixer go until the outside of the bowl is just about room temperature (this takes about 10 minutes).
Add the Vanilla and mix to fully incorporate.
TURN ON THE OVEN'S BROILER.
ASSEMBLY PART 2
Retrieve the cake from the refrigerator immediately and scoop a LOT of the meringue frosting on to it. Spread the frosting to cover the entire cake, making sure to leave no gaps anywhere from the plate all the way to the top of the cake on all sides. Using the back of a large spoon, gently pull across the meringue and up. This should form peaks that will look really pretty once you're done. Make as many or as few peaks as you like - I love that part.
Once frosted, place the cake plate on a cookie sheet or other flat pan and gently slide it in to the oven. This takes somewhere around 1 or 2 minutes to do so you can not walk away from it. I've burned many a meringue this way. Just remember, whatever the distraction, if it's not worthy of a "911" call, it's not worthy of abandoning the meringue!
As soon as the peaks start to brown, turn off the broiler and remove the cake to a cool (not cold) place.
Note: Particularly if this is a cake made from scratch but in all instances, this cake should be eaten on the same day you make it.
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