Caramel meringue with Cointreau and custard sauce (canonigo)

With its soft, fluffy meringue and sweet custard sauce, canonigo is a Filipino take on the French ile flotante, and it’s every bit as tempting. The addition of caramel in this recipe elevates this Filipino favourite to a new level. Serve with in-season fruit.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  8

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

• 330 g (1½ cups) caster sugar
• fruit, to serve

Meringue

• 12 egg whites
• 1½ tsp cream of tartar
• 330 g (1½ cups) caster sugar
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Custard sauce

• 375 ml tin evaporated milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 55 g (¼ cup) sugar
• 60 ml (¼ cup) Cointreau

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Instructions

Combine the sugar and 80 ml (⅓ cup) water in a saucepan and stir over low heat until dissolved. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil, brushing down the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush a few times. Cook for 5–6 minutes until the sugar begins to change colour, reduce the heat to medium-high and continue to cook until a medium-dark caramel colour. Pour the caramel into a 3 litre (12 cup) bundt tin and tilt to coat as much of the tin as possible. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Meanwhile, to make the meringue, whisk the egg whites on medium-low speed until foaming. Increase the speed to medium-high, add the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, and continue to beat for 3–4 minutes until thick and glossy. Add the vanilla extract and mix through. Spoon the meringue into the bundt tin and place in a deep roasting pan. Fill the pan with hot water to halfway up the bundt tin and transfer to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes until set and the top is golden. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the meringue to cool in the roasting tin.

To make the custard sauce, combine the evaporated milk, egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of gently simmering water and cook, whisking, for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Stir through the Cointreau.

To serve, invert the meringue onto a platter and serve with custard and fruit to the side.

Photography by Alan Benson

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.