« Rose Petal Meringues »

 

 In late June the roses were in full bloom, sending aromatic messages through the streets and alleys of downtown Whitehorse on every gust of wind: we are here for this sweet moment, but not for ever, just like youuuu, come and walk amongst us, but wear your pants and your long sleeved shirts, especially if you intend to pick our petals and take them home with you for your crazy concoctions, your jams and jellies and fancy sauces…

I went out amongst the roses twice, the second time in long sleeves and pant legs (after the first outing in scant summer clothing: oh yeah, rose bushes have thorns) accompanied by the dog Bella, who sifted away on forays of her own while I moved from bush to bush, pulling petals from the stems and not thinking about anything except the changes in the roses’ colour and tone, from tight rosebud to barely-opened flower to full-blown maturity, deep rose lightening to mauve and then pale pink, all on one bush, the mature flower opening out into complete acceptance of the sun, and then dropping its petals, one by one, so that only the stamens remained, and behind them the small green knob that will become the red rosehip in September. Now, in early July, the rosehips are already turning red, and growing bigger day by day.

If you hurry, there’s still time to gather a litre or two of petals. Dry them in a cool room away from the sun, and when perfectly dry, store them in a jar in a cool, dark place, like the corner cupboard at the back of the Lazy Susan.

 

 This recipe for rose petal meringues was born of an excess of egg whites in the fridge, post-Hollandaise sauce, and the first product of the first harvest of rose petals, which was rose petal sugar, possibly the prettiest item in the boreal pantry, and so easy to make.

Rose Petal Sugar

¼ cup (60 mL) dried rose petals

¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar

Grind rose petals in a food processor or pound them in a mortar until the pieces are small and powdery, then pulse briefly or mix by hand with sugar. Store in an airtight container in a dark place. Sprinkle on cookies, pancakes or rice pudding; try adding to salad dressings made with raspberry vinaigrette.

Makes a scant ½ cup (125 mL) of sugar

 The meringues are a great summer treat and would look equally well at the wedding banquet or set on top of a wood stump by the mid-summer bonfire, but not too close, lest they disintegrate.

Remember that meringues are delicate, sensitive to both moisture and heat. If you fill them, do so at the last minute. I brought some to a friend’s place, filled with whipped cream and enclosed in a plastic-topped glass bowl, and when we took the meringues out at dessert time they fell apart at a touch. Plus, mysteriously, the rose flavour had disappeared. I stored the rest on a plate, uncovered, at room temperature, and filled them just before serving with whipped cream and spearmint (lovely, but overpowered the rose) and then with whipped cream with a couple of drops of rosewater (perfect). Eat meringues fast! My plan now is to make hollandaise sauce at regular intervals, or gateau a la eight yolks, thereby ensuring a steady supply of egg whites, and hence meringues, my new favourite sweet. 

 

Rose Petal Meringues

4 egg whites

¼ tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar

1 cup sugar, minus 2 tablespoons (220 mL)

1 Tbsp (15 mL) rose petal sugar

1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice

¼ tsp (1 mL) rosewater

Preheat the oven to 225F (125C) and prepare 4 baking trays by lining them with parchment paper. Combine sugar and rose petal sugar. Set aside. Beat egg whites until slightly thickened and frothy. This happens quickly—don’t wait for the egg whites to turn white, just thicken and form large and smaller bubbles—then add cream of tartar, lime juice and rosewater, still beating, until the egg whites start to take on a uniform colour. Now slowly add the sugar mixture, still beating, until the egg whites stands up in stiff peaks. Make loonie-sized meringues by dropping the egg white mixture from a teaspoon onto the parchment paper.

Bake for 45 minutes or up to an hour if your meringues are larger than 1-inch diameter. The bottoms should be pale brown and the tops just off-white. Turn off the heat, open the oven door and leave the meringues in the cooling oven for 5 minutes. Remove and cool on racks away from drafts.

Important: if you’re going to fill the meringues, make an indent in the bottom with your thumb while they’re still warm. But, if you miss your chance, and the meringue shatters when you try to make an indent, you can still sandwich two together with a filling, just less of it.  

Makes about 75 1-inch meringues.

Filling

½ cup (125 mL) 35 percent cream

2 drops rosewater

Add rosewater to cream and whip until stiff. Place a scant teaspoon in the indent you’ve made with your thumb in the meringue, or on the flat side, and place the flat side of another meringue on top, pressing slightly. Arrange on a plate and sprinkle rose petal sugar on top. Serve and celebrate the brief but sweet Season of the Rose.