Happy Mardi Gras! A time when an entire city wanders amongst themselves seeming to hum “What a Wonderful World” in raucous harmony. We are so delighted to be back in New Orleans to enjoy firsthand the magical experience. Because we are Midcity-ites, we had a huge party to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Endymion. So many beads, so many beads. Keeping with my chocolate commitment, I busted out these bite-size treasures. Party-stopping-finger-licking good.
I found the recipe in an advertisement for the Louisiana Egg Commission (worst website I’ve ever seen), falsely claiming this dish takes “ten minutes” to prepare. Oh contraire—try 45 min to an hour. But the chocolate was creamy and the meringue so attractive. My chickens caught their first beads at Endymion and were seen fighting over them in the backyard. They are the sponsors of this post, thanks ladies for getting back into the spring swing of things there in the coop. Even Betty is laying her green eggs again. Thanks for mooning the camera, Bet. The groundhogs here in New Orleans never, never see their shadow. Spring is here, y’all.
Mini Chocolate Cream Meringue Tarts
Adapted from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry “Louisiana Egg Commission”
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
¼ cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups nonfat milk
3 large eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp cream of tartar
45 mini phyllo shells (or 18-20 puff pastry shells)
Preheat oven to 350. Combine one cup of sugar, the cocoa, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Whisk in combined milk and egg yolks. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and darkens, whisking constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Meanwhile, bake phyllo shells for 3 minutes or until slightly crisp. Cool on wire rack.
Fill each shell with about 1 tbsp chocolate filling.
Beat the egg whites in a mixer on high speed until foamy. Stir in cream of tartar. Gradually add remaining ¼ cup of the sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over the top of each tart, making sure to seal the edges.
Bake tarts on baking sheets 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or refrigerate.
I had featured these tarts on the porch buffet for our Endymion festivities.
Also have on proud display the shoe I caught at the Muses parade. Record year.
Stay tuned for KP’s epic banana with a bead hulu skirt costume, rolling in Mondo Kayo tomorrow. #ThanksMomforteachingmehowtosew.
Awwww, Bettie! Way to go, girl, both in attitude and production!
Not even a mention about some of the story behind the Muses shoe? Nothing?
Ooh, story time about the shoes Rachel, por favor! 🙂
So, the story of the shoes: Historically, MUSES Parade was the first parade to allow an all female cast of krewe members. Instead of beads for throws, over the preceding year, they hand paint and hand-bedazzle stiletto heels and then drop them down to lucky parade attendees. It is equivalent to catching a hand-painted coconut at the Zulu parade.
The last time we caught a shoe at Muses was in 2009. This year, we got to stand in the balcony of a friend on Magazine Street and a Muses member threw a shoe up to the balcony, but missed and it landed on the roof. KP climbed up on the roof at the end of the parade, got yelled at by the police, but rescued the shoe and threw it to me!!!
It didn’t strike me as even remotely unusual. This sort of thing seems like it happens all the time?
At least in NOLa!
Rachel, thanks for the tale telling! I just love the heroic scene of KP scaling the roof and ignoring the police, all in pursuit of a prized possession for his beloved wife! Aww, talk about true love 🙂 Enjoy the rest of Mardi Gras season to the very fullest! XOXOXO