Angel Food Cake (from scratch! Thanks Alton Brown!)

I have strawberries and was debating shortcake vs. angel food cake.  I emailed L asking him (without additional discussion) to choose one or the other, and he chose angel food cake.  So I began.  I'm actually glad because the shortcake recipe I was going to use would have been 6pts/biscuit!!! YIKES!

* 1 3/4 cups sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup cake flour, sifted
* 12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better) (Um, if you are like me, come up with a good system of counting because on several occasions I lost count and had to recount the shells in the sink, and I am worried I didn't even count those right! I let them sit out for at least 2 hours.)

I was hoping that these were "medium" peaks!

* 1/3 cup warm water
* 1 teaspoon orange extract, or extract of your choice (I didn't have orange, so I just used vanilla)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

Pre-baking

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Cook's Note: Since they're easier to separate use the freshest eggs you can get. (This is super true--and something I learned today!)

12 servings = 3pts/serving
10 servings = 4pts/serving

Embarrassing to say the least.

Out of the oven! My angel food cake pan sucks balls and the only bottle that would fit in the hole was a Hickory Seasoning bottle that is slightly dwarfish and pretty pathetic. 

A little heavier than I'd have liked...I don't think I reached "medium" peakage.