Two Days, Two Dozen Eggs: Part 1

The bureaucratic gods smiled warmly upon me this month: the UK Border Agency returned my passport, visa therein, wait for it...one week early! In this age of cynicism and general ire directed towards government agencies, when immigration solutions seem all the more elusive even as the problem mounts and countries lock down their borders instead of looking to the roots of global poverty, I choose to look upon the early arrival of granted leave in the UK as a glimmer of light.

Hence, cupcakes. And how could there be a more hopeful, light variety of cupcake than Coconut Lemon Meringue Cupcakes! The egg itself, of which one needs 9 for this recipe, with its sunny yolk and billowing whites represents a new beginning which emulsifies, binds together, while also aerating and lightening.

Perhaps that was a bit much.

In any case, these were delicious cupcakes. The batter has coconut milk and 6 egg whites, which, together, create a fluffy batter that makes the top of the cupcake more like a cake-y macaroon than dense cake. The golden lemon curd in the middle counters the sweet, toasted meringue, and, all together, creates an irresistible combination.

The only modification I made to the recipe was to make a true Italian meringue. So, instead of just egg and sugar over simmering water, I made a 'softball stage' sugar syrup and drizzled it into whipped, then beaten whites. Julia Child's The Way To Cook is an excellent reference here. The egg chapter has a comprehensive section on meringues.