Grandfather's Beard

Name: Grandfather's Beard
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min

October 8, 2015

Prep 20 min Total 1 hr 20 min

Grandfather’s Beard - is white © kvalifood.com

Recipe with video — A cross between meringue and a jam shortbread bar. Firm biscuit base, sweet soft top, with a bit of tart raspberry jam in between. Yes, jam in grandfather’s beard might sound a bit odd, but this is not a cake that hangs around long in my house.

Ingredients

base

wet ingredients

125 g butter
125 g sugar
4 egg yolks
½ dl milk

dry ingredients

300 g flour
2 tsp baking powder

jam

1 dl raspberry jam (or another tart jam)

meringue

4 egg whites
250 g sugar
2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Directions

base

Melt the butter.

Mix the wet ingredients together.

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Stir the dry and wet ingredients together. Mix only until all the flour is moistened and most of the lumps are gone.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F (175°C).

jam

Warm the jam with a teaspoon of water if needed, so it spreads more easily. You have a dirty saucepan from melting the butter anyway.

meringue

Put a little of the sugar, the egg whites, and the lemon juice in a bowl and whisk.

When the whites start to stiffen, add the remaining sugar in a thin, steady stream. If you’re using a stand mixer this is less critical — the whites will get properly whisked either way.

Spread the meringue over the base.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F (175°C), until the meringue turns golden.

Notes

The recipe fits a medium-sized deep roasting tin (2½ litres).

The lemon juice gives a denser and more stable meringue — the same effect as whisking in a copper bowl. It doesn’t affect the flavour and can be left out.