Gooseberry Meringue Cake

Gooseberries are slightly tart. You may use fresh red currants, rhubarb or sour cherries instead of gooseberries. Red currants can be laid on the cake raw and sprinkled with sugar before piping the egg white on the cake, but simmer the rhubarb or cherries as you would gooseberries.

Ingredients:
6 cups (1.5 kg) fresh gooseberries or
3 12-oz (375 g) tins of canned gooseberries
4 1/4 cups (965 ml) Rapadura sugar. (If using canned gooseberries, only 3 1/4 cups (810 ml) of sugar are needed.)
1/2 cup (125 ml) water (if using fresh gooseberries)
2 1/2 cups (375 ml) whole wheat or kamut flour
1/4 tsp (1 ml) sea salt
rind of one lemon
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1/3 pound (155 g) butter
1/2 cup (125 ml) bread crumbs

Wash berries and remove stems.

In a medium pot combine water, one cup (250 ml) Rapadura sugar and berries. Simmer for five minutes. Strain berries and let cool. If canned gooseberries are used, drain the berries and set aside.

Combine flour, salt, half a cup (125 ml) sugar and lemon peel in a bowl. Make an indention in middle of flour and add egg yolks. Cut butter into one-inch (two-and-a-half cm) pieces and add to flour. Knead all ingredients into a dough and let sit for half an hour.

Either grease or cover a baking sheet with baking paper and roll dough onto sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place gooseberries on dough.

Beat egg whites until peaks form. Add remaining sugar and beat until sugar is dissolved. Place egg white in a piping bag and pipe diagonal lines across gooseberry cake. Bake cake for 30 more minutes at 300°F (150°C). Remove from oven and let slightly cool before placing cake onto cooling rack.

Source: alive #224, June 2001