Munchie Musings

Sans Rival

This is what I took to the Food Bloggers Potluck last weekend.

My favorite Filipino dessert is Sans Rival, which means 'without rival'. It is an extremely rich dessert. There are layers of cashew meringue with buttercream icing. For many years I didn't have the right equipment to make it. I'm so 'Pampered Chef'ed' that I didn't have normal metal bakeware. I also needed a mini-food processor to chop the cashews fine enough. Now I had the materials and an event, so I decided to make it again.

This recipe is from a Filipino cookbook my aunt had given me. It was specially written for cooking outside of the Philippines. You know, when it might be harder to find the ingredients, etc. I will note that it did not make enough icing to really cover or decorate the cake, as you can see from the pictures. But it is so rich, that I didn't want to double it. I did add a teaspoon of vanilla to the icing as well.

Folding cashews into meringue

Here you can see the meringue being folded with the chopped cashews. Note for next time: use parchment paper and bake a little longer for extra crispiness.

And a note on the icing. It is an Italian buttercream and lighter than some other versions that could be too heavy for this dessert. But it is very buttery and very susceptible to heat. Therefore, it is important to keep the cake chilled as much as possible. The picture below shows the interior of the cake and it is now getting a bit goopey from being left out.

Note on cake pans. I used rounds and did four layers. You can also do this on cookie sheets and should get three layers.

Sans Rival cut

This was a big hit at the potluck. I am anxious to make it again soon. I've never tried it with flavors. Think I will try chocolate buttercream next time. Can't be anything but fantastic with chocolate and cashews!

Layers:
10 egg whites
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups chopped cashews, toasted

Oven 325 degrees.
Line cake pans with parchment paper or butter and flour the pans real well.
In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Sprinkle with cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in nuts, reserving enough to sprinkle on the top for decoration. Divide meringue between the 4 pans, and spread evenly to edges.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the meringue from the baking pans while still hot; allow to cool. When cool, trim edges so that all 4 meringue layers are uniformly shaped. Set aside.

Icing:
6 egg yolks
1/2 c light corn syrup
2 T water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 lb butter, room temperature

Beat egg yolks until smooth.
In a small saucepan, mix together corn syrup, sugar, and water. Bring it to a boil and let simmer for about 2 minutes.
While beating the eggs, slowly pour in sugar mixture in steady, thin stream. After all is incorporated, let the egg mixture cool.
In another large bowl blend up the butter til light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg/sugar mixture. Continue to beat until all is blended and the icing is light and smooth.