Titanic Desserts
Last Dinner on the Titanic. by Rick Archbold and Dana McCauley is a wonderful book that combines my two loves: cooking and traveling by ship. This book captures the romance and ceremony of travel at sea as well as the tale of tragedy. There are menus from all three classes as well as recipes from each. There's even a section on how to host a Titanic style meal from the proper invitations to setting the table and what to wear. All through the book there are quotes from the surviving passengers on what that last meal was like. Besides being a cookbook, it is lovely book just for reading.
Here's two of the dessert recipes from the Last Dinner on the Titanic.
Enjoy!
4 large navel oranges
2 cups orange sherbet
2 egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
1/2 cup fruit sugar
Dash almond extract
Fresh spearmint leaves
Candied orange peel
Cut off top quarters of oranges; discard. Turn over and slice off (without penetrating flesh of oranges) the stem ends so that the oranges sit flat. Carefully spoon out flesh, reserving for another purpose. Place hollowed skins on baking sheet lined with waxed paper and freeze for 30 minutes or until rigid.
Divide sherbet evenly among oranges, firmly packing it into hollows with back of spoon. Return oranges to freezer for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, in glass bowl, using clean beaters, beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar. Still beating, gradually add sugar. Continue beating for about 3 minutes or until eggs are glossy and form stiff peaks; stir in almond extract.
Remove oranges from freezer and place on baking sheet. Decoratively cover openings with meringue; use a piping bag fitted with a star tube, or spoon dollops of meringue onto oranges. Immediately bake in 425 degree F oven for 2 minutes, reduce temperature to 375 degrees F and continue to bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until meringue is set and slightly browned. Garnish with spearmint leaves and candied orange peel; serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pur vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg white, beaten
FILLING
1 tablespoon shortening
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon sweetened shredded coconut
Dash pure vanilla extract
Using electric mixer, beat butter until light; add sugar and continue beating at medium-high for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beating until well combined. On low speed, mix in flour, coconut, and nutmeg just until well blended. Shape dough into ball, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until chilled through.
On lightly floured surface, roll out dough, one-quarter at a time, to 1/8 inch thickness. Using floured 2-inch round fluted cutter, cut our rounds. Using floured palate knife or metal spatula, place on greased baking sheet.
Lightly brush each cookie with beaten egg white. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown on bottoms. Remove to rack; cool completely.
FILLING: Meanwhile, cream together shortening and butter, adding icing sugar gradually until mixture is creamy. Stir in coconut and vanilla.
Spread equal amounts of filling evenly over half the wafers and top with remaining wafers to make sandwiches. Store in tightly covered container for up to 1 week. Makes 14 sandwich cookies.
R.M.S. Titanic, Inc.
This is the protective corporation that owns salvage rights to the Titanic.
Titanic
If you haven't seen the movie, you've just got to - it's fantastic and totally unforgettable. Buy or rent a video today!
