This recipe is actually from Joy, my good friend and Aisa’s ninang from St. Lou: In 1989 when we were both unmarried and looking for stuff to do on the weekends, we’d bake. One Saturday it was Black Forest cake which didn’t turn out too well. Another Saturday it was this. Joy learned how to make this from her mom Tessie, who was a wonderful cook. Ninang Tessie became one of our wedding sponsors, and passed away last year after a long battle with cancer. I have many memories of her cooking, her generosity and her kindness. Here’s to you, Ninang!
10 eggs, whites and yolks separated carefully
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk (sorry, i forget how many ounces, i’m talking about the regular-sized can)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectioner’s sugar for topping
cooking spray
Perhaps I should mention that I have had best results separating the egg whites from the yolks using my hands — a technique I also learned from Joy. Your hands are sturdy enough that you can use them as a sieve, and soft enough that you won’t fear breaking the yolks. Break each egg into one hand letting the egg white fall through into a bowl; you can transfer the yolk from hand to hand until all of the egg white is gone. It would also be helpful to do each egg white one at a time. Use 3 bowls: 1 for the egg whites, 1 for the yolks, and 1 little one to separate them. This way, if you accidentally break a yolk and contaminate the egg whites, you haven’t ruined the whole batch.
Beat the whites and the cream of tartar in the bowl of a mixer until it holds soft peaks. With the mixer on , gradually add the sugar by tablespoonfuls. Continue to beat until it holds stiff peaks. You can tell when you’ve beaten enough when the mixture is smooth and has a nice even sheen. When you pull the beaters out of the egg whites quickly the whites should be firm and not flopping over. DO NOT OVERBEAT. Overbeaten egg whites will appear grainy. There is quite some time between beaten perfectly and overbeaten, so as long as you pay attention, you shouldn’t have a problem.
The essential thing is that the beaters and bowls should be perfectly clean. You can also use a balloon whisk and a copper bowl if you have them. I used to do it this way but it really kills your arm and wrist (esp. if this isn’t something you’re used to doing everyday). If you’re using a stainless steel bowl clean it with a bit of vinegar and salt, wiped completely off with paper towels. There’s a long explanation of how this works here so I’ll move on.
[Although that site mentions that plastic bowls should not be used, I have since found that plastic is a negligible factor as long as your mixer is powerful enough. I really should become a dealer for DLX the way I tell people how much I love their mixer. I remember crinkling my nose when I got the plastic bowl and double whisks with my DLX. After using the KA I was convinced it was the only thing that could get me perfect egg whites. Was I wrong! The DLX beats perfect egg whites in just 3-5 minutes, it’s THAT powerful.]
After you’ve beaten the egg whites — we’re going to call it a meringue now– transfer it to a 10″x15″ baking sheet, lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Spread evenly and smooth the top with an offset spatula. If you want you can use a comb (available at cake decorating shops) or a fork to make decorative ridges in the meringue. Bake at 350 degrees F. Now here’s where I mess up, because I forget the original recipe and go by feel/look. I *think* it’s 25 minutes or so, but the meringue should puff up and turn a beautiful light golden brown.
While you’re baking the meringue, put the egg yolks in a non-stick skillet with the condensed milk. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until mixture becomes pasty. I cannot give further instructions other than to say that you will learn how to do this properly only with practice. I’ve done it many times but I still make mistakes. Last time I made this I wasn’t paying much attention and overcooked the yolks. It felt like taffy instead of melt-in-your-mouth. Just remember that the yolks will continue to cook for a while after you take it off heat. One way to get around this is to cook the yolks just until you think it’s done, take it off heat and set the pan in a larger bowl or pan with cold water and ice cubes, that way it cools off much faster and you can see the results right away and make the necessary adjustments. It’s always better to undercook the yolks than overcook them because if need be you can always reheat the skillet to cook them some more. Stir in the vanilla extract when done.
After you’ve baked the meringue, take it out of the oven. It will deflate to its original volume. Do not worry, that’s the way it is. Work a knife under the wax paper to make sure it will release properly. Lay a sheet of wax paper on top of the meringue, then put a similar-sized baking sheet right side up on top (baking sheet bottom should touch the wax paper on top of the meringue). Holding both sheets firmly, flip them over with one swift motion. Lift off the pan holding the meringue, and peel off the wax paper carefully. Don’t worry if there are small portions that stick as they will not be visible when the brazo is assembled.
With a long side facing you, transfer the cooked yolk-mixture on top of the meringue, spreading evenly. It should be a long strip along the lower third of the meringue. Using the bottom wax paper, carefully lift the meringue up to roll forward. Keep rolling until the meringue encloses the yolk-mixture (you should have at least 1/3 of the meringue left at the top) at which point, carefully peel off the wax paper so you can continue rolling, until the yolk-mixture is completely enclosed and the meringue overlaps. (The process is similar to making maki sushi, so if you’ve done that, you can do this!) The meringue should be seam side down. If you are serving now, take the wax paper off, transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Otherwise, keep the wax paper on and store in the refrigerator on a baking sheet or in a cake box. When ready to serve, remove wax paper and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
(My) Variations: Add chopped nuts to the yolk-milk mixture, or bits of praline. A nice touch would also be caramelized sugar pulled into endless strings, sorta like what you would use for a croquembouche or a buche de noel. You could also serve slices of these atop some caramel sauce — that should take you as far into sugar and cholesterol heaven as you’d like to go:).
Someone was asking for the nutritional information for Brazo de Mercedes so here it is:
Assuming that the whole brazo was cut into 10 equal servings, and you only ate one:-D, here’s what you would get
276 calories
9.3 grams protein
8.45 grams fat:
3.72 gms saturated fat,
2.87 gms monounsaturated fat
.8 polyunsaturated fat
41.4 grams carbohydrate
113.7 mg sodium
233 mg potassium
447 IU Vitamin A
226 mgs cholesterol
Obviously this is not something you’d want to eat everyday.
Disclaimer: The numbers given above are approximations and based on raw ingredients. For dietary advice, talk to your nutritionist or your doctor.
what’s the secret to keeping the meringue fluffy.mine always turns into a thin white sheet by the time i take it out of the oven and flip it over.
will appreciate your response/tips.
thank you.
alicia
alicia, if it turns into a thin sheet that means you’ve either not beaten it enough or overbeaten it. the egg whites should stand up firm when you hold up your beaters. it should also be shiny and white and smooth, not grainy at all. when it turns grainy and lumpy, you’ve overdone it and should start with fresh egg whites.
sorry for the super-late reply, i just saw your comment.
i couldn’t make my meringue perfect
what will i do make it fluffy sometimes i done it right and sometimes not at all
could u give me some tips on how to do it perfectly
thanks,
Rhiza
still waiting for ur reply
thanks,
Rhiza
@Marisa:
Anytime i read a recipe with meringue involved, it’s always mentioned that it’s better to work with room temperature egg whites. So I cook the filling first then do the egg whites. 350F for 13 mins always turns out perfect for me, but oven heat varies so keep trying. You do it often enough you can tell by the look and feel of the meringue when cooking.
I tried it for the first time and it came out very good. I have a cook book with a different version but i followed this recipe and was very glad. My family enjoyed it so much. I think it helps if you already know how to make pianono roll because it is a little bit similar. Thanks for posting this great recipe! What really helped me is having the pictures up as well. That way, I was able to compare just by looking at it. Thanks again!
thanks for posting this recipe. I was looking for a better brazo de mercedes recipe when i came across your blog. i made this today and turned out beautifully. very yummy too. this recipe is easy and simple. very “do-able” unlike a recipe from another website which i made last friday and it flopped. thanks gain.
how many minutes should the eggwhite mixture to bake,is it when you stick a toothpick and it comes out clean its done?it took me an hour for the meringue to cook.when i roll it split apart.what should i do then?thanks.
comment on separating the egg: you won’t need a 3rd bowl for in case a yolk breaks. use the egg shell to scoop up the yolk from the bowl of eggwhites. it will naturally “swim” into the shell because that’s where it was born!
i just use the one mixing bowl to drop the egg whites into. then i drop the yolks straight into a small non-stick wok.
there will be less bowls to wash!
janine, egg whites should not take more than 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. sometimes even 17 minutes, when the top is evenly light brown.
when i cook the egg yolk filling in a nonstick wok on the stove, the “meringue” is baking in the oven. the meringue is usually done even before i finish cooking the egg yolks. then the meringue has a chance to cool down a bit.
comment on the meringue cracking while rolling it: that was one of my concerns before, maybe i’m over baking it, but i found out that no one cares when they’re eating it because it is simply delicious.
hi, my meringue didnt turn out right there were portion that looks like steamed egg white, how many min. does it takes to beat the egg white? thankx! 🙂
the insides usually come out looking like steamed egg whites when you used a nonstick insulated pan to bake the meringue; but that’s ok because you will have to flip the meringue over anyway (the golden brown side will be on the outside).
This was fantastic. I am a white guy married to a Filipino woman for the last 10 years. I have tried MANY filipino dishes (my favorite is tocino and lumpia) but I didn’t know what a Brazo de Mercedes was until we went to Seattle last week. My wife bought one from an Asian market and said it was her favorite when she was growing up in the islands.
I wanted to surprise her so I started searching the web for recipes. Yours is the first one I tried and it turned out pretty good for my first try. My wife was completely surprised, and she said it was delicious. The only thing I did differently was add half a teaspoon of lemon extract to the custard.
Thank you .
I have made this recipe several times and i did like it… I had a great success in making the Brazo… My American friends really love it!
Hello!Your recipe of Brazo de Mercedes is the best.It is my first time to make Brazo following your recipe and it was perfect,except for the smell(fishy)Do you have advice?Salamat!!
As a chef I advise add lemon zest in your custard so that it will not smell fishy.U can contact for any inquiry at 09273235016. ty
I tried this recipe and the merinque turned out perfect! Thank you so much for the detailed description.
The filling was not as perfect, though. I think I should have cooked it a little bit more because it spread and oozed out as soon as I placed it on the meringue. 🙂
I’m not sure if I just missed it, but where do I put the vanilla? Is it with the meringue or with the filling?
Hey!! Thanks for the recipe! I tried it once and it was FANTASTIC! Thank u!
HEY!! Thank u for this recipe! it’s awesome and delicious. I just have a few questions.. is it better to roll the meringue when it’s cooled down or fresh out of the oven? and also how do u prevent the meringue from having little cracks when u roll it.
Hi. Just wanted to ask you if you would know how to convert this brazo de mercedes recipe into the frozen brazo de mercedes which is the craze here! (It is a frozen cake with sugary graham crackers at the bottom then has a layer of mantecado ice cream or french vanilla ice cream, then the yema filling anf the final topping is the baked meningue.) Thanks. Will wait for your reply.
Hi Your recipe has really helped make brazo for the very 1st time. I made it not as a regular brazo but as “Frozen Brazo”. Here’s how i did it:
Prepare meringue and custard. For the crust prepare crushed graham crackers, mix in 1/3 cup melted butter AND 1 tbsp sugar. Mix well & press as crust on a pyrex. Layer 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream (i used nestle), then spread the custard on the next layer. Finally top the it with the meringue. DELICIOUS!
hello…Terri,
Im so interested about your frozen brazo de mercedes…i would really love to know how to do it..i can say i can perfectly do a brazo de mercedez, but never heard about frozen brazo..anyway i try to do it and i hope it will click with my friends, thanks..help me cross finger..
Could anyone give me an advised regarding what the best way to do with regards to rolling brazo de mercedes without braking or distroying the brownish colorish color of the meringue. What i always doing is asways putting icing sugar on the wax paper and put the merique up-side-down (the brownish color- top, down) but i notice that after a few hours, the icing melts which give some sort of caramelize sugar on the brazo which is not i think i would prefer if im packing it and giving it to friend or keeping it in the fridge…i like i maintain as much as possible the freshly appearance of the brazo..also, would it be a factor that one of the reason why icing sugar melts in this regards because of the temperature…i.e im living in a cold country?i love to hear your response
Your recipe is simply the best. It’s easy to follow and oh so yummy! I tried it last night and it was great. Now, I won’t miss them anymore here in Australia as I can make them anytime.
hi der!!!! ur recipe looks really good.
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll try your recipe tonight. My husband loves Brazo de Mercedes but sometimes I cannot get the meringue right. I hope after this I can perfect my meringue. And for the filling I use double broiler so I have more control with the heat.
I made one today and as always, the brown “crust” stuck and resulted in a very white roll. So I tried something new and it worked! When I rolled the brazo I rolled it onto waxed paper. I slid the roll and paper back onto the baking sheet and browned it in the oven and it turned a gorgeous brown. It didn’t take long so watch it very carefully if you try this.
I use the “Let’s Cook with Nora” recipe but it’s lacking in step-by-step instructions. Thank you for posting your instructions here.
how could i know if the egg white is “perfectly beaten” and can be placed in the oven?
kasi nung nakaraan nagbake po ako ng egg white, then biglang nagkaroon ng grayish layer yung egg white? does it mean kulang pa ba sya sa beat or overbeaten?
ano po ba ang palatandaan na ok na sya for baking?
i really cannot understand the word “soft peaks?
so please teach me.. for sure mape-perfect ko na ang Brazo De Mercedes if i managed to get this..
Tnx
how do you prevent the brazo de mercedez from sagging? thanks for the reply.
Can I use non stick pan to cook the meringue??
Hi Stef. It’s great that you’ve posted your recipe and procedures -as a matter of fact it’s almost the same procedure that my ninang taught me so I’m not surprised that many were successful. I agree with all the rave reviews!
I really love making brazo and happy to help others who are having trouble. So, allow me to reply on your behalf to some of the unanswered queries esp. about the meringue.
Tip 1: make sure there is not a drop of water that gets mixed with the egg white.
Tip 2: As you’re beating the egg white, ribbony forms should start to appear. But the best way to find out if the egg white is ready, gently and slowly slowly flip the bowl over, holding it up in the air. If you can do this without the egg white spilling, then you’re done. CAUTION: if as you start flipping the bowl over the egg white starts moving, obviously you need to continue beating.
Tip 3: The soft peaks that Stef referred to should appear as you lift the beater from the bowl. If this is still not clear, as long as you follow tip 2, you shouldn’t worry about the soft peaks.
Re: vanilla. You also add 1 teaspoon vanilla to the meringue once all the sugar has been mixed in and then continue beating.
Sorry, I’m not sure about using a non-stick pan for the meringue. Use the tray that comes with your oven, is what I would advise.
Final tip (I think somebody mentioned it already but I’ll repeat): let the meringue and the custard both cool off before putting them together – not sure if this is what would resolve the sagging.
I’m sure there are questions I haven’t answered and perhaps my tips are not that clear. If you need further clarification, you may email me at marie_gc@yahoo.com and I would be happy to provide advice, i.e. if I can.
Stef,
I thought I submitted my comment earlier. Guess not! Just wanted to let you know I tried making the frozen (based on comments above), with addition of caramelized sugar (like the one you hinted above) and almond paste/nuts. My in-laws and most especially my husband raved about it!
My husband is looking forward to the next one I am planning to prepare for Christmas…:)
http://kusinanimanang.blogspot.com/2008/11/frozen-almond-brazo-de-mercedes.html
I tried to do html for the link but did not work, so I pasted the URL here. Sowee…
hi,
thanks so much for this recipe. i tested it and it turned out to be a success!!! my husband loved it so much that he wanted me to do another roll after finishing the last slice 🙂
just today i shared your recipe with my sister who’s based in the US. she’s excited to try it!
thanks a lot again.
God bless and a blessed Christmas to you and your family 🙂
I grew up in Manila and this was my absolute favorite cake growing up! I found this recipe and really appreciate the detail in how to make it and the pictures–they were so helpful in motivating me to even try to attempt making this. Best news is: it totally worked and was just like I remembered! I can hardly believe I made it myself! Thank you for sharing and God bless!
Hi! It was the first time I tried baking brazo de mercedes and I think mine didn’t turn out so bad. It’s still in the ref cooling down, I’ll wait for my hubby to come home so that we can eat it together. The egg whites were beaten at room temp I think that made the difference. Mine was fluffy and golden brown after 10-12 minutes. My filling weren’t as smooth though 🙁
Thanks for posting your recipe!
Hi! Made your yummy brazo de mercedes recipe with my nephews. It’s their favorite and it gave them something to do this summer vacation. Thanks for posting this! 🙂
And oh, I made everything by hand. No electric mixer. Hahaha! So worth it! 🙂
your recipe really rocks and my family and freinds love it!! but how can i prevent my meringue from cracking when rolling it? I really want to make it perfect, not only presentable as a present but also the yummiest ever…
thanks,
thet
Hello 🙂
I tried your recipe last December and ever since it’s been the usual request from friends and relatives party. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
God Bless
The best recipe yet! I’ve tried many others but yours is perfect. Thanks for sharing. Oh, and I added a little lemon extract on mine.
hi, i wanna try your recipe, but i have one question, do i need a parchment paper lining on a baking tray when baking the meringue or its ok if i bake it directly to the baking tray (i mean the flat bacon tray) but atleast spray it with non stick pan spray so that it wont stick. ???
you need a parchment absolutely!!! do not bake it without the parchment
you talk too much. is there anyway you can just type in the recipe? saves me ink!
does anybody know where to buy a good tasting braso de mercedes? really appreciate your help. thanks.:D
ok, my question is. after the merengue is cooked, do you flip it before you add the filling or do you leave it as is (and if that’s the case, the outside will be white so you need to brown it back to the oven?
thnx so much!
thanks for the recipe ..
very detailed .. 🙂
This is my 1st time making this. I undercooked the meringue but other than that, it was so good.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Is it possible to cook the meringue in a microwave oven. I’ll wait for your reply. Thanks!
i’ve never tried cooking meringue in the microwave, grace. however, i’ve heard that other people have made meringue successfully (probably not this size though). you can certainly try it and let us know how it works for you.
This recipe was amazing! First time I’ve made it and it turned out perfectly. I followed your instructions to a T! Although, as mentioned oven temps vary and so mine only took 15 mins. Thanks for sharing!
Cooking is my passion…but this is my first time to make Brazo de mercedes. My husband keeps on requesting me to make brazo de mercedes because it is his favorite……..and because of your site i can finally try it….i’m so excited!!! Hopefully it will turns out perfectly!!
@Donna: For me the Brazo de mercedes in Aristocrat is the best that i have tasted so far.:0
wow, this is very detailed and way too fun to read, i am a h.s. teacher (food tech), it’s like i am reading a script of “teach/discuss how to make brazo de mercede”s……
I would try the recipe as my student’s laboratory. I am so excited of their output.
Thanks for these recipe I hope to try it out this saturday, wish it would work out well as we cant get brazo here in Tripoli. Thanx so much I’ll get back to you for the results.
thanks for the recipe. I hope I could make it properly. :O Will plan to make brazo on New Year’s Eve.
This one looks sooooo much eaiser then the one my girlfriend and I attempted lol.
I tried to bake this recipe but unfortunately things went wrong when i tried to roll the meringue. It cracks! I did it for the second time but still the meringue cracks when rolling. I’m so desperate! Can you share any tips of how to avoid cracking he meringue? Please….
This is a very good detailed recipe. My kids like it a lot. Thank you for sharing.
Hi! I tried making Brazo de Mercedes and can’t seem to remove that eggy smell on the egg whites when cooked. Would you know a trick to remove it? Thanks!
Just to ask whether I should wait till the meringue is cold before putting the cream filling?
Love Brazo so would like to make it soon as I have time.