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Pineapple Sponge
1 tablespoon gelatine 1/3 cup cold water 3 egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar Grated rind 1 lemon 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup shredded canned pineapple 3 egg whites, beaten stiff 1/2 cup whipping cream Soften gelatine in cold water. Beat egg yolks, add sugar and grated lemon rind, juice and salt. Cook in double boiler, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from stove and add softened gelatine and pineapple. When mixture cools and starts to thicken, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and whipped cream. Turn into a mold first dipped in cold water and chill. Remove from mold to serving dish and garnish with whole and half slices of canned pineapple and whipped cream. Serves 6.
A gelatin "sponge" of the 1930s type: a lemon custard base, set with gelatine and lightened with beaten whites and whipped cream. Nothing here is difficult, but two things decide whether it sets and whether it is smooth.
- Use canned pineapple, not freshThis is the hinge. Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, which digests gelatine and leaves the dessert a syrupy puddle. Canned pineapple has been heat-treated in processing, so the enzyme is destroyed. Drain it well before folding in.
- Gelatine measureOne tablespoon is a little more than one modern envelope (an envelope is about 2 1/4 teaspoons, 7 g). Use one envelope plus about three-quarters of a teaspoon, or simply one full envelope for a slightly softer set. Sprinkle it over the cold water and leave it five minutes to swell before it goes near heat.
- The custardCook the yolk mixture over barely simmering water, not boiling, until it coats a spoon \ around 170-175F on an instant-read thermometer. Beyond that the yolks curdle and no amount of folding will smooth them out.
- Folding at the right moment"Starts to thicken" means the consistency of unbeaten egg white. Fold too early and the whites and cream separate into layers as it chills; too late and you get streaks and lumps. Chilling the bowl over ice water and stirring occasionally gives you control of that window.
- Raw egg whitesThe whites are never cooked. If you are serving anyone pregnant, elderly, very young or immune-compromised, use pasteurized egg whites in the carton, which whip stiff perfectly well with a little extra time.
- Mold and chillingThe finished mixture comes to roughly 4 to 5 cups, so a 1 1/2-quart mold is right. Chill at least 4 hours, better overnight. Dipping the mold in cold water first, as directed, helps it release; a brief dip of the filled mold in warm water at serving time helps more.
- Cream and garnishHalf a cup of whipping cream is the unwhipped measure and gives about a cup whipped. Whip only to soft peaks for folding, and reserve extra cream separately for the garnish, which the ingredient list does not account for.
- YieldSix servings as written, which is modest by modern standards for a light gelatin dessert; it stretches to eight small portions alongside cake or cookies.