My last unmarried daughter is getting married in July. She has chosen a citrus theme for the wedding. It will be festive and beautiful. I have been trying to come up with some recipes to go with the theme, so this SHF is really a two pronged approach for me.
I have tried a few recipes, and chose to share this one with you. Mostly because it is so pretty! I got the recipe from the Florida Citrus Commission website.
First you make the meringue shells;
Begin with 3 egg whites, room temperature, 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla (or the extract of your choice). I chose orange to compliment the ambrosia. You'll also need a cup of sugar.
Beat the eggs, extract and cream of tartar until frothy. Then begin adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat on high until all the sugar is combined and the meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks. Like this:
Then on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (first choice) or waxed paper, form your shells. Begin with a mound of meringue and then push it out to the sides to form your shells. Like this:
Then place them in a 275 degree oven for an hour. After the hour is up turn off your oven and let the shells stay there for another hour. Sometimes, if you oven is too hot, your shells may turn slightly beige in color. Watch them closely. Also please note: meringue is really simple to make. However, if you have a high humidity day, no matter what you do thses will be dificult and may not turn out as you wish. It's not you, it's the humidity. Try again on a dry day and you'll find success.
Now on to the citrus ambrosia. You'll need: a teaspoon of orange zest, 1 cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of sugar for your glaze.
Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add the juice and zest. Sir together over medium heat until thickened. Let cook for two more minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Set aside to cool in the fridge.
Then, section out two grapefruits and three oranges. To section the citrus remove all the skin from the outside of the orange (or grapfruit). Holding the fruit in one hand simply cut along a membrane on one side of a section. Then down the other. You'll then have the sections ready to eat. Like this:
Halve a bunch of green or red grapes. Add to the other fruit. When the glaze is cool pour over fruit, stir to cover all the fruit. Let stand in fridge for a few hours to combine and chill.
Spoon into meringue shells to serve.
Viola! Very good, but a bit too sweet for me!
