This post was written way back this exact time last year and sat in my drafts, waiting patiently to be posted. Finally, a year later, another Spring, and with all the family once again here, I asked myself, where did that time go?

Spring is here.

The doors and windows are wide open, and the scent of jasmine fills the house. The jasmine vine is in full flower, so delicate and fragile and pure—these flowers are white gems. I have planted so much of it, all different types, and the garden and house are filled with its intoxicating, glorious scent. Just the enchanting scent refreshes the heart and soul while at the same time leaving you with a feeling of softness and calmness.

Its smell takes me back to India, where the tradition is centred around the act of giving and these aromatic jasmine garlands.  The garlands are seen everywhere, strung around rickshaw lights, doorways, and in women’s hair, and sold by men pushing or riding bicycles.  Big baskets filled high with jasmine flowers are in the market where the Indian women in their beautiful sari sit quietly and weave simple or elaborate garlands to sell.  They are used as daily offerings in temples and adorn the images of Indian deities.

This is the month my daughter, Yasmin, was born. ‘Yasmin’—my fragrant flower. I associate March with Jasmine flowers and fresh strawberries, and her birthday cake is always lavishly decorated with both. Jasmine flowers find their way into our hair and in vases throughout the house. We make garlands and sprinkle our bath with these flowers.

Last year, my daughter had just turned 12, and each year, we have a ritual of making her favourite two birthday cakes.  I can’t remember how it came about to be two birthday cakes, maybe because they are so equally delicious that we could never decide on one or which one. Each year, we make the chocolate roulade and these meringues, which we pile high with whipped cream, strawberries and a passionfruit sauce.  So light and full of texture.   And oh so good!!!

Turning 12 is an extraordinary juncture in the Jewish tradition for a girl or 13 for a boy, moving from childhood to adulthood.  As my teacher wrote in his blessing for her, “It is a year where the journey of Realisation of Truth starts.”   With the help of Anna and Leon, we created a blessing book for Yasmin, where all her family and friends wrote a heartfelt blessing to guide her later in life.  As part of my blessing, I put in this meringue recipe as it is associated with her and her birthday.  We make them together, working side by side in the kitchen: mother and daughter.

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MINI MERINGUES

makes 18 mini meringues

Depending on the occasion, I sometimes make these individually or in one big, round meringue filled and cut as if it were a cake.

With all meringues, success depends on room-temperature eggs and very clean, grease-free utensils.

ingredients

4 large eggs – room temperature

1 cup fine sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

½ Tbsp cornstarch

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 punnet whipping cream

extra ½ tsp vanilla extract

fresh strawberries (raspberries, or in Summer – mangos)

8 passion fruits

preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 150C/ 275F and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer in a clean, medium-sized metal bowl until they form soft peaks.
  3. Gently sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites, a tablespoon at a time.  Your egg whites should now be glossy and form stiff peaks.
  4. Add the cornstarch and vinegar, and fold gently with a plastic spatula.
  5. Add vanilla, and gently fold the mixture again.
  6. Now, gently spread the meringue in 3-inch circles on the lined baking sheet.  Make sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the centre, so you have a very slight well in the middle.  The edges should be 1.5 inches tall.

  1. Bake the meringues for about 50 – 60 minutes.  They should be crispy on the outside with a slightly chewy marshmallow centre.
  2. Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar to let the meringues cool completely. They will crack slightly as they cool, giving them the perfect hole to put the whipped cream in.
  3. Just before serving, remove the meringues from the oven. Gently remove them from the baking sheet and place them on plates.
  4. Whip the cream with the extra vanilla extract until it forms stiff peaks and prepare the fruit by washing and slicing.  Scoop out the pulp of the passionfruit and place it in a serving jug.  Fill with cream, dollop with strawberries and drizzle with the passionfruit sauce.

Goodness shared from Stacey