Marquise on Meringue - Daring Baker's Challenge

The May 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Emma ofCookCraftGrow and Jenny of Purple House Dirt. They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a dessert they prepared at a restaurant in Seattle.

Here is my second Daring Baker's challenge! This dessert looked seriously intense when it was first posted, but after I sat down and worked out a game plan, it didn't seem too bad at all!  I have never heard of this type of dessert before, and I am happy to say that it is definitely a keeper.


The fact that it said that this would take approximately 8 hours from start to finish was a little daunting, but I had it complete (pictures and all!) in about four hours :) So this is definitely do-able for a dinner with friends or a special occasion! And trust me, I will definitely be making this again.

The Chocolate Marquise is such a neat dessert. It is served cold and has a wonderfully soft and creamy texture. When paired with the meringue and the delicious caramel it made a very decadent dessert.

Instead of using tequila in the marquise and the caramel, I decided to go with coconut rum. I thought the slight coconut taste would be a delicious alternative to the tequila, and I think it turned out really great!


The plan I set out for myself to make this dessert was:


1) Make the chocolate base so that it could cool while I prepared the rest of the chocolate marquise
2) Make the chocolate marquise and get it in the freezer as soon as possible
3) After the marquise had been in the freezer for 2.5 hours, I prepared the coconut rum caramel
4) When the caramel was complete, I prepared the meringue (made the meringue and broiled it)
5) Before removing the marquise from the freezer and cutting it into pieces, I prepared my plates with the caramel and meringue so all I had to do was add the marquise immediately before serving
6) After I removed the marquise, I used cookie cutters to obtain some fun shapes, quickly dropped them in a bowl of cocoa and set them on the prepared plates

This worked out great! I was able to optimize my time, and even have enough time to do my dishes in between :)

If you are looking for a unique dessert that will impress your guests, this is it!  


I have set out the ingredients and directions in the order that worked for me. If you feel that you have a better method, definitely do what works for you :)

This is the 'quarter' variation of the recipe. This makes enough for about 6 servings (the original recipe makes enough for 16 - 24 servings!)


Chocolate Base

• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
• 1/3 cup + 2 tsp whipping or heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/16 cayenne
• 1 tbsp coconut rum
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• dash of freshly ground pepper
• 1/12 tbsp butter, room temperature

1. Heat the cream in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave until very warm to the touch (but not boiling). I did this in 20 second intervals to make sure I didn't over-heat the cream
2. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl, and pour the warm cream over it
3. Let the chocolate and cream sit for a couple minutes, and then stir until smooth
4. Add the salt, cayenne, coconut rum, corn syrup, vanilla, cocoa, pepper, and butter
5. Whisk until smooth
6. Set aside 

Chocolate Marquise

• 3 egg yolks (room temperature)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp water
• chocolate base (recipe above)
• 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (for coating the marquise)
• meringue, broiled or torched (recipe below)
• coconut rum caramel (recipe below)

1. Prepare your pan (I used a loaf pan) by lining it with parchment paper
2. Separate the yolks from the egg whites and set aside the egg whites for the meringue
3. Place the egg yolks and remaining egg in a large bowl and whip on high until thick and pale, approximately 10 - 15 minutes
4. At about 8 minutes, place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat
5. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot, and bring the syrup to a boil
6. Boil the syrup until it hits the 'soft-ball' stage (115 C or 235 F)
7. When the sugar reaches 115 C, turn the mixer to low and pour in the syrup (be careful!)
8. After all the syrup has been added, turn the mixer back onto high and whip until the base of the bowl is cool (this will take about 10 minutes)
9. While the mixture is cooling, pour the cream into a second bowl and whip it until soft peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside
10. When the syrup/egg mixture is cool, pour in the chocolate base and mix for about 1 minute
11. Fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream until mostly mixed together
12. Pour the marquise into the prepared pan, and then cover the top with plastic wrap (make sure it is touching the surface)
13. Place in the freezer for 2 - 4 hours (or overnight)
14. When ready to serve, remove the marquise from the freezer and cut it into squares (or you can use cookie cutters)
15. Roll the cubes in cocoa powder and set them on the plates with the caramel and the meringue. The marquise will start to melt as they warm up, so they should be prepared about 15 minutes before serving
16. Enjoy!

Coconut Rum Caramel

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp coconut rum

1. In a saucepan add the sugar and water
2. Boil the syrup until the water has evaporated and the sugar has caramelized (you want a rich mahogany colour)
3. When the desired colour is reach, quickly remove the saucepan from the heat and add the whipping cream.
4. Return the saucepan to low heat and whisk until the mixture is smooth
5. If you wish, you can continue whisking over low heat until the caramel has darkened to the desired colour
6. When it is as dark as you like, remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the salt and the coconut rum
7. Serve with the marquise
8. Or, just eat it as is. This caramel is delicious!

Meringue

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar (scant)
• 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp vanilla

1. Place a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water
2. Add the egg whites, sugar, and apple cider vinegar
3. Whisk the mixture until the egg whites are smooth (until you can no longer feel the sugar granules when you rub it between your fingers)
4. When smooth, remove the bowl from the stove and beat it on medium-high until soft peaks are formed
5. Fill a piping bag and pipe your meringue onto a baking sheet lined with parchment
6. Set the meringues under the broiler (watch carefully!) until browned
7. Serve with the marquise
8. Alternatively, you can spoon or pipe the meringue directly onto the plate if you have a kitchen torch on hand

Labour intensive? Yes. Completely delicious? Unbelievably so!