Unwavering Peaks

I did a lot of baking yesterday, plus other baking-related stuff.  Haven’t done that in a long time – a full day’s worth of just playing in the kitchen.

I’m hoping to post about some of it later today, but in the meantime, just wanted to share this little bit with you.

A dear friend of mine sent me a box of cookbooks – long story, to be shared later – and one of those books was from the Time/Life “Foods of the World” series.  My mother had the full set, which consisted of a set of large, hardbound books about various countries and cultures and their foods, and a set of smaller, spiral bound books with all the recipes corresponding to each country.  I remember these books up at the top of the built-in bookcase in the dining room.  I thought they were pretty cool.  I love sets of things.  I’m not sure if she still has them…maybe in a box somewhere.

Anyway, three of the books in this box were spiral-bound volumes from that series, and one of those was a book of German recipes.  I immediately turned to the “Cakes and Cookies” chapter to see which of the 6 cookie recipes Bill’s mom used to bake (and I now bake) at Christmas time were there.  Springerle, Pfeffernusse, and Lebkuchen were all there, which wasn’t surprising.  I also found a recipe for Almond Crescents that sounded interesting, and I made those yesterday.  Interesting recipe.  I’ll be sharing that with you at some point. 

Anyway, part of the instructions have stayed with me.  You have to whip an egg white at one point in the whole production, and the recipes directs you to

“…beat the egg white with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until it is stiff enough to form unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted out of the bowl.”

Unwavering peaks!

Usually I see this stage of egg white whipping referred to as “stiff peaks,” but I think I prefer Time/Life’s description better.

I reached the unwavering peak stage and paused to admire the little soft-serve ice cream-like curl at the top of my peak. 

Naturally I had to take a picture.  Okay, not A picture.  Many pictures.  I get like that, as you, if you have been reading this blog for years now, will recognize.

Anyway, that’s it for the moment.  I have to get off the computer because Alex has to practice violin and I’m in the way. 

Comments

[Donna B.]

Unwavering peaks... I like that too!
Can't wait to see the madness that is BKW's Cookie Bake-Off 2012! :D

[Kat]

From here on out, and forevermore it shall be, unwavering peaks!

[Food storage]

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For food supply: http://www.efoodsdirect.com/