canonigo
viv of seattle bon vivant is the gracious host of this month's EGGy event...it's no yolk, it is a lot of work to do the round up so thank you viv.
i knew right away what i'd post. this is a dessert that's commonly served on special occasions in the Philippines, especially during the Christmas season. it is no doubt of Spanish origin, though i've not found it in either of my 2 Spanish cookbooks. it is a deconstructed version of the brazo de Mercedes, which i already knew my children loved even though i feel like i haven't perfected it yet... i decided to make the delicate, ethereal canonigo--a meringue cake with custard sauce--you can make in a bundt or tube pan (the one-piece kind, not the one with a removable bottom because it has to bake in a hot water bath) so they'd think it's a bit of a change. :)
paella pan to the rescue!
caramelize 1 & 1/2 cups sugar with 1/2 cup water (mix sugar and water constantly over medium heat until sugar dissolves; bring to a boil without stirring and hover over the pan till you see it golden brown and thick). immediately pour into warmed bundt pan making sure to coat all surfaces well. allow to cool and grease lightly with butter.
for the bundt cake: preheat oven to 350F. prepare the bain mairie--hot water bath--have ready a pan big enough to hold the bundt pan [almost in a panic before i spotted my paella pan! whew!] and pour enough warm water to come up to half the bundt pan.
in an electric mixer, using a metal bowl, whip 8 egg whites till frothy, and gradually add 1/2 cup fine granulated sugar and 1 tsp baking powder and beat until stiff. pour into prepared bundt pan. cut into the meringue batter with a spatula knife to eliminate huge air bubbles and tap the pan on the kitchen counter top.
bake for 35 minutes. cake is done when it is not jiggly and a long seafood pick or toothpick comes out clean and dry. let cool 5 minutes then tip over to a serving platter. be careful as the caramel willbe quite hot as it cascades over the meringue cake.
while cake is baking, prepare the custard sauce:
in a bowl set over a double boiler combine 8 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 can of evaporated milk, whisking well until sugar dissolves. whisk constantly over the gently simmering water until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. add 1/4 cup rum (i used only 2 teaspoons as this is a PG kind of cake) and 1 tsp. vanilla. (substitute 3 tbsps. orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier for adults only version).
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slice and serve with custard sauce poured over, or on the side.
