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Tips for Perfect Meringues
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1. Don’t make meringues when the kitchen is super steamy or the weather is damp and humid. |
2. Egg whites should be perfectly “clean”, without a speck of yolk in them. Older egg whites work even better than fresh ones, so you can (and should) accumulate leftover egg whites in a clean (grease-free) covered jar in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 2 weeks. Each large egg white is about 2 tablespoons, so if a recipe calls for 4 egg whites, just measure out 1/2 cup. You can also freeze egg whites in an ice cube tray -- one white per cube -- and bag them once they are frozen; defrost as needed.
3. Egg whites beat to a great volume at room temperature or slightly warm. Simply set the bowl of cold egg whites in another bowl of hot tap water, or swirl the bowl over a burner flame, until they are at room temperature or slightly warm, to the touch.
4. Beat egg whites in a clean (grease-free), dry, stainless or glass -- not plastic -- bowl, with clean beaters.
5. Regular granulated sugar works well for most meringue, but superfine is best for pavlova (that yummy, gooey, marshmallowy meringue with a crunchy crust). You can make your own superfine sugar by spinning regular granulated sugar in a food processor until it feels a little powdery.
6. Finally, the rule that most cooks don’t know: for the fluffiest, stiffest, and most voluminous meringue, don’t add the sugar too soon. Beat the egg whites (plus cream of tartar or vinegar) until they look creamy white -- more like shaving cream than frothy translucent yellow soapsuds -- and you can see the tracks from the beaters on the surface. Then start adding the sugar slowly, but not too slowly: about 1 heaping teaspoon at a time, over and over again, without hesitating but not in a rush, until all of the sugar is added.
More: Now go make meringues without a recipe, with Alice's step-by-step instructions.
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