[1st contest] Zephyr (Russian meringue)[Lv.intemediate]
Updated: Apr 28, 2021
Zephyr is a very light and full of vitamins dessert, it is also very beautiful to serve or place in a gift box. There is no flour, milk, and no baking. It consists of berries, apples, or any fruits you love and want to add.
Hi, My name is Madina, I’m 26 now and I live in New York for 5 years. My passion is baking!
I love to make sweets, and make others happy when I give them my treats as a piece of my love! But the most important thing is, I am the mother of two wonderful babies, and I try to use best and healthy ingredients for them. Also, I hope you can enjoy my recipes too, and make your family or friends happier with a piece of your sweet masterpiece :)
Servings: 14-16 pieces.
Time : 1hour 15 minutes.
Prep Time : 1 hour
Cooking Time : 15 minutes
Other Time : Chilling for 7 hours
INGREDIENTS
Agar Agar Powder
Sugar
Egg White
Apple and Berry Purée
Water
COOKER / TOOL
Electric hand mixer
Piping bag
What is Zephyr?
Zefir (Russian: зефи́р, may also be spelled zephyr or zephir) is a type of soft confectionery made by whipping fruit and berry purée (mostly apple puree) with sugar and egg whites with the subsequent addition of a gelling agent like pectin, carrageenan, agar, or gelatine. (Reference from : Wikipedia )
🥣 DIRECTION
Step 1. Puree
1/2 cup Apple and berry puree
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg White
1)
Wash and cut one green apple into 4 pieces. Put it in a saucepan, add 2 Tbsp water and let it cook until very soft (about 15 minutes).
2)
Mash the apple and strain through a sieve. In a saucepan, add 200g of any berries you like (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or just banana) to simmer, mash them in the saucepan, and simmer until the purée is very thick.
3)
Strain purée through a sieve and add apple purée. It should be 150g of mixed apple and berry purée. Add ½ cup of sugar while the purée is still warm, sugar should be dissolved in the purée.
4)
Put the purée into the refrigerator until it’s cooled (you can make it the night before). Also, freeze the remaining purée and use it for the next time.
5)
When the purée is chilled, pour it into a bowl of the mixer, add 1 egg white (substitutes for aquafaba in the same portion, approximately 40g).
6)
Start beating the egg white and purée until it’s very light and doubled or tripled in size. At the same time while beating egg and purée, proceed with syrup.
★ TIP ★
If you don’t want berries you can make it with fruits, add orange zest, or cover it with dark chocolate. Also, you can use zephyr as a filling layer in the cake, or use any silicone molds for the shape you want (do not forget to brush the mold with oil).
Step 2. Syrup
2 tsp Agar Agar Powder
1 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Water
1)
In a saucepan, combine ⅓ cup water, 2 tsp Agar Agar Powder and 1 cup sugar.
2)
Place over medium heat, bring the syrup to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes, whisking constantly until the syrup has thickened and pours from a spoon without dribbling, or reaches 230°F (110°C).
3)
Remove from heat.
Step 3. Zephyr
1)
With the mixer on lowest speed, start pouring the syrup slowly into the egg and purée mixture. Be careful not to cook your eggs in the purée mixture.
2)
When all syrup is poured, change the mixer to the highest speed and beat for 2 or 3 minutes until soft peaks form.