More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Meringue;
Meringues are another old fashion treat, seldom seen today outside of a commercial bakery. Time was when nearly all housewives could make meringues, which was considered a necessary skill since not only are meringues good by themselves, but they are also an integral part of many elegant desserts.
There are really only two major ingredients in meringues; egg whites and sugar. Cream of Tartar is added to the egg whites to help stabilize them and increase their volume. There are a few things that are essential to the making of good meringues:
Egg Whites: To insure that your egg whites reach maximum volume, our bowl and beaters must be ABSOLUTELY FREE FROM GREASE OR OIL. No matter how clean you think they are, wash them again in detergent and HOT water just before using. Rinse in cold water to chill. Fat of any kind keeps egg white from elevating properly. This is why, when separating the white from the yolk, it is essential that absolutely none of the yolk get into the whites. The yolks are, after all, predominantly fat. It is easier to separate the yolks from the whites if the eggs are cold. Allow the whites to become room temperature after they are separated.
Superfine Sugar: Superfine sugar is best as it will dissolve more readily when mixed with the egg whites. You can’t always find it. To make your own, put granulated sugar in a blender or food processor and process until very fine. The sugar must be added slowly to the egg whites to allow it time to dissolve. Otherwise the meringues may be gritty.
Measurements: The standard ratio is ¼ cup of superfine sugar to each large egg white used and for every 4 egg whites you will need ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar.
Baking: Always pipe your meringue mixture onto baking sheets, not wax paper. The meringue often sticks to wax paper. It is essential to bake meringues in a slow oven to allow for gradual evaporation of the moisture. If the meringues cook too quickly, the outside will dry while the inside is still moist. When you remove them from the oven, the crisp outside will absorb the moisture from the inside and become soggy. Also, you do not want your meringues to brown. A perfect meringue is a pale cream color, or at best a light buff. The oven should be no more than 200° f. (105 c). Do not open the oven door during the first half of the baking time. If baking your meringues on a rainy or humid day (or if you live in Hawaii or Louisiana) they may take longer to bake.
Let’s get cooking: Now, all that said, preheat oven to 200° and place
4 egg whites in a large bowl and with the whisk attachment, beat the whites on the low to medium speed until they are foamy. Add;
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and continue whisking until the whites will hold soft peaks. Begin adding;
1 cup of superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the whites will hold very stiff peaks. Then beat in;
Vanilla, almond or lemon flavoring to taste, depending on final application. The meringue is finished when it will hold stiff peaks and when you rub a bit between your thumb and forefinger, it feels smooth, not gritty.
At this point, you have several choices.
1. To make meringue cookies, place tablespoon full dollops of meringue on a bakers’ parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.
2. To make individual meringue shells for elegant desserts, place spoonfuls of meringue on the lined baking sheet and spread out into 3-inch diameter circles with the back of a spoon. then, using a pastry bag filled with the meringue, pipe wall, dike or rim around each circle to the height of about 2 inches. Your shell should resemble a small, straight sided basket.
Bake the meringues for approximately 1½ to 2 hours, rotating the baking sheet about half way through the baking. They are done when they are a cream or pale buff color and crisp to the touch. Turn off the oven, crack the door and leave until the oven is cool. Once completely cooled, meringues may be stored in an air tight container for several weeks.
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