Chickadee Home Nest: meringue kisses

Showing posts with label meringue kisses. Show all posts

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Celebrating The Epiphany--the Three Kings' Long Trip

"Celebración de los Reyes Magos" - Having come to the U.S. from Cuba in 1961, our family still celebrates "El Día de los Reyes Magos" (The Day of the Three Kings), and the Kings still bring presents to our children. Our 4-year-old granddaugher explained to her pre-school teacher that they come to our homes "because our family is Cuban." :)

The "Reyes Magos" are such an integral part of Latin culture that my mother told me recently of a wonderful toy store in Havana (Cuba) called "Los Reyes Magos." Isn't that a great name for a toy store?! Surely it didn't survive much after 1961.

This year my husband and I hosted our family's Three Kings celebration, now that our granddaughter is old enough to understand the story. The Three Kings brought some gifts and left them under the tree for them (yes, we keep our tree up until The "Reyes Magos" come), but to make certain that the spirit of the day wasn't lost, the central figure in my tablescape was my childhood Baby Jeasus, which my grandmother managed to bring back to me in 1983 when she was able to visit Cuba. She gave it to me originally, and gave it to me again...isn't that {AMAZING}?!

A celebration of the Three Kings is really about Baby Jesus.

The Three Kings: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar
We know they brought frankincense, myrrh, and gold,
but we don't know which gift each brought.
The red candle urn (left) is Tiara.

Crystal Three Kings and Baby Jesus
After I took this picture I added the the full text of Matthew 2: 1-12,
telling the story of The Wise Men.
A battery-operated candle behind the vintage trees
gave the scene in the cloche a soft glow.

In our invitation we promised cookies and hot chocolate and other "kingly" treats...
The table was set in jewel tones--befitting the gifts that the Three Kings brought.
Here's what we served~
Christmas tree carrot Bundt cake (in s/p cake stand with wonderful high dome,
from Bombay Company, a gift from my mother years ago)
Cream cheese with hot pepper jelly (red) and green pepper jelly
with buttery crackers (lower right)
Gem shortbread cookies
Candy cane-striped meringue kisses

Jewel-toned vintage Tiara platter and Cambridge Caprice bowl
(the latter a gift from my SIL years ago)
Sterling compote holds whole cashews and dried cranberries,
a simple, yummy combination.

Since we were serving buffet style, the "star" stacker seemed quite apropos, don't you think?
Ribbon candy is a must during the holidays...in another Cambridge Caprice bowl,
surrounded by a mix of sterling and crystal candle holders.
Dishes are Lenox Eternal and the clear ones in the first two tiers are vintage Federal, Heritage pattern.
The bottom ones are vintage, of unknown lineage, but pretty.

We served Golden Pineapple Punch in our sterling punch bowl--a gift from my MIL,
complete with ladle, platter, and lid.
Have you seen many punch bowls with lids? I haven't,
but it's quite old now, and perhaps it was something more common in the past.

We served the punch in our "vintage" ARBY's goblets (can you say "vintage" and "goblets"
in the same sentence as Arby's? :) )
I have many of the glasses, and our son found these at Goodwill recently
and wrapped them up as what he thought would be a funny gift--

ARE YOU KIDDING?! They're PERFECT!
Funny, when I set them out I actually admired how they glistened! :)

~~~~~~We also served the BEST CAPPUCCINO HOT CHOCOLATE EVER,of course
topped with whipped cream from my iSi Cream Whipper
(to find out more about it see HERE)
Everyone raved and asked for the recipe.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture.
I served them in old footed punch cups--very pretty.

I wish you a happy, healthy 2012 with much to be thankful for.

Does your family celebrate the Epiphany?
Do the Three Kings visit your home and leave gifts?
If you do a celebration, I'd love to know about it,
and if you have posted pictures, please be sure to share them with me!

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them! They encourage me and inspire me. And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too! Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/p/link-parties.html

House in Roses Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple

Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

Mrs. Hines’ Wednesday Show & Tell at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=120723&type=thumbnail

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

In and Out of My Nest’s Saturday weekend party at http://inandoutmynest.blogspot.com/2011/12/r-r-weekend-party_29.html?showComment=1325569309720#c8749613812899918207

From my Chickadee Nest to yours~

Zuni

Monday, January 2, 2012

Candy Cane Meringue Kisses

These "kisses" are perfect for Christmas, because they look like candy canes, but they're also perfect for Valentine's Day. Happy kissing!

Here's what they look like--cute, huh?
Want to learn how to make them? It's easy---follow along.

The recipe is a basic meringue recipe:
4 egg whites (save the yolks for another recipe)
1 cup granulated sugar
(so the recipe is 1/4 c of sugar for each egg white--you can make as much or as little as you'd like).
Four egg whites made three large jelly roll pans.

Set the egg whites aside for about 15 minutes so they're not cold from the refrigerator.

You'll also need:
* Red gel or cream food coloring to make the candy stripes
* A small brush
* Pastry bag
* Star tip on the pastry bag
* Edible glitter in white and/or red (optional)

Very important: Be sure there is NO yolk in the egg whites!

Cut enough parchment paper to line your baking sheets.

Preheat oven to 210˚

I like the convenience of disposable pastry bags.
Push the "coupler" into the bag as far as you can (it probably won't fit through the open tip)
Mark the bag where the coupler stops, remove the coupler, and cut the tip there
(be carefeul to not cut it too far up, or it won't seal)
Put the coupler back in the bag and push it through so only the threads are out of the bag
Place the star tip up against the coupler, and hold both in place with the twist seal.

Pour egg whites into mixing bowl.
Beat on high, adding the sugar slowly until all the sugar has been added and the
meringue looks firm and shiny and beautiful.
When the meringue is stiff enough that it no longer drips from the beaters,
it's done!

To prepare the pastry bag:
This step should be done once the meringue is ready to be piped, as the pastry bag can't be put down
once the "stripes" are painted.
Pour some cream food coloring into a small bowl.
Dip a small paint brush into the food coloring and carefully reach into the bag
and "paint" three evenly spaced "stripes" from the tip of the bag to 4 or 5 inches from the top.
Notice that they don't have to be perfect, but the meringues will look great!

Using a spatula, add the meringue to the pastry bag.

Fold the top of the bag several times to release the air in the bag and
to move the meringue down.

Squeeze a small "kiss" on each corner of your baking sheet(s), then place the parchment paper
on your baking sheets. This will hold your sheets in place.

If all the meringue doesn't fit in the pastry bag, simply paint more stripes in the same
areas where the first were and refill the bag with meringue.

Sprinkle with glitter if desired.

Place in oven for 2 to 3 hours, until they are completely dry and feel hard to the touch, but
don't let them start to change color!
Meringues should be perfectly white when done.