Have I ever mentioned that I'm a total germophobe when it comes to cooking? I'm the girl that washes her hands 439,789,023 times while working with raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs. {Not to mention the counter tops, utensils, and even the sink itself.} If something perishable sits out for just a few minutes too long, I get icked out about using it. I can't tell you how many "doggy bags" of delicious restaurant leftovers have gone directly in the trash {or to my husband... he doesn't care as much about those types of things} because I wasn't sure about ingesting them.
Better safe than sorry, I say.
While being cautious is most definitely a positive thing in my book, my extreme attitude when it comes to food safety sometimes causes me to miss out on some really exquisite foods. I know that folks have been eating raw or undercooked food products for centuries without any ill effects, but most of the time, I opt out of preparations that seem questionable to me. {It took me YEARS to warm up to the idea of sushi!}
Sadly, this includes some versions of homemade aiolis, ice creams, salad dressings and eggnog. And no one should ever have to sacrifice any of those tasty treats because of paranoia.
Enter Safest Choice Eggs. They are exactly what they sound like: Eggs that are made safer to eat by removing the risk of salmonella through pasteurization.
Do you know what this means for people like me? We can finally lick the beaters because pasteurization = peace of mind. And that, my friends, is a gift like no other!
You know what else is awesome? Being able to enjoy runny eggs while I've got a bun in the oven. I was on a total "put an egg on it" kick before I found out I was expecting, and sadly, had to put the kibosh on golden, silky yolks once I knew I was eating for two.
But now, I can indulge in this and know that baby boy is safe and sound. Love.
Anyway, let's talk about these tartlets. First and foremost, please note that I don't own mini tartlet pans. So I just lined a muffin tin with foil and made my own little molds. They're not as pretty as the real thing, but they did the trick in serving as a good base for tangy pineapple & vanilla bean curd. I love that you can see the tiny vanilla bean specks.
But I couldn't just leave it at that. Nope. I topped these babies off with a swirl of fluffy coconut-scented meringue and then popped them under the broiler for a minute until they were nice and toasty brown. Though the meringue wasn't really cooked and the curd was heated minimally, using Safest Choice eggs ensured that I could focus on the yumminess and nothing else!
Love Eggs? Like receiving seasonal recipe ideas and coupons? Join Safest Choice Eggs mailing list and you could win a Chef approved cookware set and a $200 gift card! To participate, just click and fill out the form and you will be automatically be entered into the giveaway.
Disclosure: Compensation for this post was provided by Safest Choice Eggs via Honest Cooking. As always, the opinions here are all my own!
Pineapple Curd Tartlets with Toasted Coconut Meringue
Makes about 6 tartlets
For tartlet crusts:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs {about 5 graham crackers}
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand. Scoop about a heaping tablespoon into a muffin tin lined with foil {or mini tartlet pans if you have them}, pressing down on the crumbs until a compact crust forms.
Bake for about 5-6 minutes or until the crusts start to become golden around the edges. Remove from oven and cool completely before removing from foil or tart pans.
For Pineapple Curd:
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks {or frozen, thawed}
2 tablespoons sugar
2 Safest Choice egg yolks {save the whites for the meringue!}
4 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste {or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract}
Combine pineapple, sugar, egg yolks and corn starch in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a bubble over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until thickened {it'll be a little runnier than pudding}.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla bean paste until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
For Meringue:
3 egg Safest Choice egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
3 tablespoons sugar
In the bowl of stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until frothy.
Once foamy, slowly add sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form when the whisk is dipped into the meringue, pulled out & flipped over. {Note: This may take a while. It took a good 6 or 7 minutes for me, though it doesn't always take that long. Just keep an eye out for the meringue to get thick, opaque white and glossy.}
When meringue is beaten to stiff peaks, transfer to a piping bag with desired tip or a zip top plastic bag. Set aside until ready to use.
To assemble:
Transfer the cooled tart crusts to a small baking pan. Fill each with a scoop of pineapple curd. Pipe a swirl of meringue on top of each tartlet.
Turn the oven to broil {500 degrees or so} and move the rack to level second closest to the heating element. Bake tartlets for about 2-3 minutes or until the meringue is just starting to brown, keeping an eye on them. {Don't step away! This can happen very fast!}
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Note: Meringue tends to "weep" if it's left in the fridge and not served within a few hours. {That means it gets a syrupy puddles.} So these are best finished off close to serving time.
