Brazo de Mercedes is one other scrumptious Filipino dessert that’s made of sentimental, pillowy meringue with wealthy custard filling rolled right into a log, jelly-roll vogue. Be taught the key to get that excellent meringue with an excellent superb foamy texture that simply melts in your mouth like magic! Additionally it is really easy it may be completed in about half-hour!
The title Brazo de Mercedes is Spanish that interprets to Mercedes’ arm or to be extra particular, arm of our Girl of Mercy and its origin dates method again when the Philippines was nonetheless a Spanish colony however the dessert itself is uniquely Filipino and though it’s likened to the Spanish Brazo de Gitano (gypsy’s arm) however in contrast to it, Brazo de Mercedes doesn’t use flour nor provides egg yolks in making the cake. The yolks are used to make the custard filling.
Get able to be shocked once you take your first chunk of sentimental and foamy meringue that dissolves the moment it enters your mouth, it’s like consuming a bit of heaven actually…or no less than a like piece of cloud. 
This isn’t the primary time I’ve ready this scrumptious dessert, the one you see right here is my third try. The primary one was 2 years in the past for a buddy’s celebration and I may inform it was successful due to how rapidly it occurred.
so yesterday I made a decision it was time to share this stunning and scrumptious dessert on my weblog.
I nonetheless have the paper I wrote down the elements from my first profitable try on, however apparently, I used to be too lazy to jot down the directions.
I assumed to myself, no massive deal, I’d simply improvise from reminiscence and what might be so onerous when making a meringue, proper?
I used to be so unsuitable and that is why that is my third try, the second was a complete failure that I needed to throw it away. the meringue was superb earlier than I put it within the oven after which all of the sudden, midway by means of the baking time, it deflated from 1 inch thick to about 1/2 inch by the point it was completed. What did I do unsuitable?
ideas for making the proper meringue
so, feeling shocked and dissatisfied in my meringue, I did some fast analysis and located that the issue is most certainly attributable to the excessive-pace whipping of the egg whites I made in that batch.
Beating the whites too quick will trigger giant and small bubbles to kind, and the massive bubbles will burst as they bake and the meringue will deflate.
I’ve made meringue just a few instances earlier than to make use of it in different recipes like recent macarons and sylvanas, so I understand how to make use of clear, dry, grease-free bowl and utensils, for instance, however I suppose typically it is easy to neglect in regards to the little ones Particulars that make the distinction between success and failure.
listed below are the opposite issues I did to realize this tremendous superb fluffy texture for my mercedes arm:
- I used eggs which might be at room temperature.
- use recent eggs if attainable, they might not create as a lot quantity as older eggs (3-5 days), however they do make a extra steady meringue.
- I solely use metallic or glass containers for mixing. plastic bowls can take in fat and fat that may impede or cut back the amount when whipping the whites.
- make certain your bowl and beaters are dry and clear.
- beat the egg whites for a minute or two on low pace earlier than including the sugar, ensuring it is added progressively, like a tablespoon at a time and unfold out, not dumped.
- don’t beat the whites at excessive pace. use medium excessive pace till a stiff peak kinds or when it’s the consistency of shaving cream.
- I additionally positioned one other (empty) baking sheet on the highest rack of my oven whereas the meringue bakes on the center rack for the primary 10 minutes, then eliminated it and let it bake for one more 5 minutes till the underside high is flippantly and evenly brown. (Applies solely to electrical oven that makes use of high and backside warmth.)
You may additionally run a pastry comb or serrated knife on the floor of the meringue earlier than baking for somewhat design. Solely make certain to do it crosswise and never lengthwise (like I did on the photograph beneath?) so it won’t break once you roll it (like mine did however not proven in photograph).
