Mpezedes and Apricot Compote = Apricot Meringue Dessert

It’s been a while since I posted a dessert, not that I don’t have any recipes to post but subconsciously I want to avoid them as much as possible, as I am trying to keep away from them

I have been eating healthier and lighter for the past month, not following any diet but I have stopped eating sweets, indulging to a light dessert only once a week only and eating grilled food with salads, legumes and a ladero (plural ladera) once a week.

When I finish posting a few more recipes I have promised friends to participate at their events, I shall start posting some of these dishes, which I consider healthier.

To start with, I made mpezedes early in June, one day when I made another dessert using only egg yolks.   Mpezes, plural Mpezedes are meringue cookies which are very easy to make and can be eaten plain or used as a base for other desserts.  Mpezedes should be crispy outside and soft in the core.

I still got some in an airtight container as they can be preserved for a very long time.

Mpezedes ? Greek Recipe adapted by  Ivy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Yields: 25

Ingredients:

3

Egg whites

180

Grams

sugar

¼

Tsp

Cremorio (cream of tartar)

1

Tbsp

Lemon Juice

1/2

Tbsp

Lemon rind

Directions

1.

Beat the eggs with the sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind and cremorio (cream of tartar) until eggs are stiff.  Take a spoonful of meringue and place in a baking tin lined with parchment paper.

2.

Preheat oven at 100 degrees C, lower to 70 C and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

3.

Leave them in the oven until they cool and store in an airtight container.

I hate to waste food, so when I decided to make this compote instead of making a new syrup, I used the leftover syrup I had from the cherry spoon sweet.  This year I made Cherry Spoon Sweet twice, so I had a lot of leftover syrup after eating the cherries.  I just added some more water as I didn’t want the syrup to be too sweet and then continued as in the recipe I am giving you below.

The apricots  were delicious, not too sweet and perfect to eat only as a compote, or in a jelly or as a light dessert with yoghurt or with a panna cotta.

Apricot Compote with orange blossom water ? Recipe by Ivy

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1

kilo

Apricots

150

Grams

sugar

1

Tbsp

Orange blossom water

2

Tbsp

Lemon juice

400

Ml

Water

Directions

1.

Halve and stone the apricots.

2.

Put the sugar and water into a pan and bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring once in a while, until a light syrup is made.

3.

Add the apricots and cook over a gentle heat for 8 minutes and remove from the heat before they start mashing. Add the orange blossom water and the lemon juice and simmer for another minute.

4.

Allow to cool completely and store in the refrigerator covered.

Apricot Meringue Dessert

This dessert is so easy to make there is no need to give a recipe.  Whenever the children want to eat dessert they take some mpezedes, add some yoghurt (or ice cream) and spoon sweet or compote and they prepare their own dessert.

In this recipe I did the same.  I just whipped some cream and using a mpezes and some compote, I prepared a very light dessert.

This picture goes to Jai and Bee, of Jugalbandi for the Click Event:  Bi-Colour.  The pictures are still with my old camera as I have not found time to read the manual yet

I am also sending this recipe to Yasmeen of Health Nut, as part II of her Event Well Balanced 3 Course Meals.  See part I here.

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