Schaum Torte

Photo: flickr user www.WorthTheWhisk.com

Ingredients

cup Egg whites, (3 to 4 large - fresh! - eggs) at room tempe

2 teaspoons Vinegar

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

2 cups Sugar

Strawberries or raspberries to fill tortes

Whipped cream or ice cream - NO

Preparation

In honor of this very multi-special occassion, I am going to put a very special recipe here for you all. This is a wonderful "Milwaukee" recipe that Mary will undoubtedly recognize from her days here. This particular version of it - very tried and true - is from a wonderful restaurant in the area, Boder's on the River. The recipe is "Schaum Torte" which is a baked merenge, made primarily of egg whites and sugar and baked. The outside is usually quite crisp and the inside is soft. The way that I serve these is filled with whipped cream and either fresh strawberries (Wisconsin berries, of course - they have the best flavor - although frozen ones will do if you can't hel

Beat egg whites in bowl (not plastic) until very stiff; add vinegar and vanilla. While mixer runs, add sugar very gradually (I usually do that at 1 tablespoon at a time) until all has been added. Continue beating until mixture is well blended and egg whites again form stiff peaks. Reduce speed to medium and beat 1 additional minute.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Butter 2 large cookie sheets and place large spoonsful of the batter to form circles 4 - 5 inches in diameter. You will get 8 to 10 individual circles. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, then turn oven off and let cool COMPLETELY in the oven. (These are VERY DELICATE! Will break easily!)

Just before serving, fill each shell wih strawberries or raspberries and ice cream or whipping cream.

This is a wonderful, and very elegant dessert - but, given the filling, is not particularly for the calorie conscious unless you use some low-fat version of the same. I would have a hard time accepting that!