Beehives Recipes

THE BEEHIVE

Steps:

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka, water, simple syrup, and lemon juice; cover and shake until well combined, about 1 minute. Strain into 2 to 3 chilled martini glasses. Garnish with pear slices and serve.

LEMON MERINGUE BEEHIVES

Steps:

• Pastry Bases: Mix the butter, flour, and salt until sandy in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, blend the yolk and creme fraiche. Add to the flour mixture and mix until barely combined. Form into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• Lemon Curd: Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Whip the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the lemon zest and juice and place the bowl over the simmering water (without letting the bowl touch the water; pour some out if needed). Cook until thickened, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and freeze overnight or up to 3 days.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Prick all over with a fork then cut out 2-inch rounds. Transfer to the cookie sheet. Bake until light golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes and let cool. (The whole recipe can be made up to this point up to 3 days in advance.)
• Up to 6 hours before serving, assemble the dessert. Arrange the pastry rounds in a pan that will fit in your freezer (use two, if needed). Use a small ice cream scoop to place a ball or scoop of frozen lemon curd (it won't be frozen solid) onto each round. Place back in the freezer while you make the meringue. Meringue: Whip the egg whites until foamy, then add the sugar and continue whipping until stiff and glossy. Transfer to your pastry bag. Pipe meringue around the base of each pastry round, spiraling around and up the lemon curd ball and gradually enclosing the top to create a beehive. Fire up your kitchen torch and brown until lightly browned all over. Return to the freezer until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

BEEHIVES

Steps:

• Set oven to moderate 180°C (350°F).
• Grease a baking (cookie) sheet.
• Break egg into a small mixing bowl and beat until it is thick and pale lemon coloured and the beaters leave a 'trail' through the mixture.
• Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition.
• Fold in the coconut.
• Now, spoon some of the mixture into an egg cup (or a glass of a similar shape and size).
• DO *NOT* PRESS DOWN FIRMLY - merely tap very lightly with one finger just to smooth it off.
• Then, turn the egg cup upside down over the baking sheet and, holding it very slightly above the surface, tap the side sharply with a knife to release the mixture onto the sheet.
• Repeat.
• Bake on the centre shelf of a pre-heated 180°C (350°F) oven for 15-20 minutes or until beehives are golden brown.
• Remove from oven when cooked and gently use a knife to loosen the beehives from the baking sheet.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• When cool, store in an airtight biscuit (cookie) tin.

LEMON MERINGUE BEEHIVES

Steps:

• Pastry Bases: Mix the butter, flour, and salt until sandy in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, blend the yolk and creme fraiche. Add to the flour mixture and mix until barely combined. Form into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• Lemon Curd: Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Whip the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the lemon zest and juice and place the bowl over the simmering water (without letting the bowl touch the water; pour some out if needed). Cook until thickened, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and freeze overnight or up to 3 days.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Prick all over with a fork then cut out 2-inch rounds. Transfer to the cookie sheet. Bake until light golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes and let cool. (The whole recipe can be made up to this point up to 3 days in advance.)
• Up to 6 hours before serving, assemble the dessert. Arrange the pastry rounds in a pan that will fit in your freezer (use two, if needed). Use a small ice cream scoop to place a ball or scoop of frozen lemon curd (it won't be frozen solid) onto each round. Place back in the freezer while you make the meringue.
• Meringue: Whip the egg whites until foamy, then add the sugar and continue whipping until stiff and glossy. Transfer to your pastry bag. Pipe meringue around the base of each pastry round, spiraling around and up the lemon curd ball and gradually enclosing the top to create a beehive. Fire up your kitchen torch and brown until lightly browned all over. Return to the freezer until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

BEEHIVE BUNS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in milk, /4 cup honey and 1/4 cup butter. Add salt and enough flour to make soft dough.
• Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl turning to grease the top also. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each half of dough into a 12 X 6 inch rectangle.
• Cut one inch strips from the long edge of each rectangle. Curl into a behive shape with a wider base and narrower top on the baking sheet.
• Cover; let rise until doubled in size again, about 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake buns until golden, 15-20 minutes.
• Combine honey and butter in a small saucepan until butter melts.
• Drizzle over buns.

BEEHIVES

Steps:

• Roll pie crust into an oblong shape and cut strips 1-inch wide. Wash and dry 8 extra-large, perfect peaches. They must be perfect. Wrap the strips of pie crust around starting from the bottom until the peach is entirely covered. Pat and patch the crust as you go along so there are no holes. Seal the edges. Place "beehives" on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes at 400°. Serve hot with hard sauce. To eat: Break the "beehive" in half, remove the stone, and spoon a heaping tablespoon of hard sauce into the cavity. The peach skin has disappeared! What an absolutely divine dessert! Hard Sauce: Cream butter. Add egg and mix well. Gradually work in 2 cups or more powdered sugar. The definite amount of sugar you add will depend upon whether you like tight or not-so-tight hard sauce. Flavor with brandy. Pile sauce into peach cavity and sprinkle with nutmeg.