Meringue is a traditional French dessert made of beaten egg whites and a few additional ingredients. The meringue's hollow texture goes well with a variety of fillings, but it's also delicious on its own as a snack or dessert. This article provides instructions on how to make a simple meringue.
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Step
Method 1 of 4: Mix the Ingredients
Step 1. Prepare the oven and baking sheet
Preheat the oven to 148 degrees. Take a cake pan or tray, and line it with parchment paper. This is to prevent the meringue from sticking.
Step 2. Beat egg whites and salt
Pour the egg whites into a dry metal bowl. Use a hand mixer or an egg beater to quickly beat the egg whites and salt until the egg whites are foamy.
- Make sure the bowl you use is clean and dry. Even a drop of water or other substance in the bowl will keep the egg whites from getting the right texture.
- Don't beat the egg whites too long before adding the sugar. Beat the eggs and salt just until foamy, then move on to the next step.
Step 3. Add sugar gradually
One teaspoon at a time, add sugar as you continue to beat the egg whites. The egg white will begin to harden and form soft edges. Keep beating the dough continuously.
Step 4. Add other ingredients
Add cream of tartar and vanilla. Continue beating the dough until the egg whites are glossy and stiff.
- If you turn the bowl over and the dough doesn't fall out, your meringue has reached the right consistency.
- At this point you can gently fold in some chocolate chips, cocoa nibs (the inside of the cocoa pod), beets, or other mix if you prefer.
Method 2 of 4: Bake Your Meringue
Step 1. Place the dough on the baking sheet at a rate of one teaspoon per seed
Place each merengue 2.5 cm or more apart. Repeat until all the meringue mixture in the bowl you transfer to the baking sheet.
- For a beautiful meringue, print the meringue using a star-shaped icing bag. Squeeze the icing bag to form meringues one by one on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the meringue with sugar, cocoa powder, or other topping if you wish.
Step 2. Bake the meringues for 45 minutes
The tray should be placed in the center of the oven so that the meringues cook evenly.
Step 3. Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool
Let the meringue cool in the oven to keep it smooth. Wait 1 - 2 hours, or until the meringues have completely cooled, before removing them from the oven. Remove from oven when the meringues have cooled.
Step 4. Serve or save your meringue
Meringues are ready to eat as soon as they cool. Serve immediately or store in an airtight food storage container for up to 4 days.
Method 3 of 4: Make Your Meringue More Attractive
Step 1. Make a sandwich cake with a sweet filling
Spread your favorite filling evenly on the meringue, then spread a second meringue on top to make a delicious sandwich. The following fillings are popular choices for serving with meringues:
- Chocolate ganache. The rich, dark chocolate gives a nice contrast to the soft and sweet meringue.
- Whipped cream (heavy whipped cream). Keep this dessert soft by filling it with sweet whipped cream.
- Fruit jam or fresh fruit. Fresh strawberries or raspberries, or strawberry or raspberry jam, can be added to make the meringue even more delicious.
Step 2. Make meringues in different flavors
The meringue dough itself can be flavored with extracts and embellished with food coloring to make a unique dessert. You can add some character to a meringue by mixing in pieces of fruit or chocolate. Consider some of these combinations:
- Season the meringue with orange extract, add a few drops of orange food coloring, and mix in a few pieces of candied orange.
- Mix cocoa powder into the meringue mixture and fold it into mini chocolate chips.
- Season the meringue with pistachio extract and top it with ground roasted pistachios.
Step 3. Make meringues like candy canes
This lively variety is flavored with peppermint extract. Make the candy cane stripes by painting the meringues with food coloring strips after you place them on the baking sheet.
Method 4 of 4: Variations
Step 1. Adding a teaspoon of instant coffee to an egg white will create a meringue with a mocha flavor
Step 2. Rub a paper towel that has been dripped with a little vinegar into the inside of the bowl so that the meringue doesn't go flat
Step 3. Before baking, you can make small indentations in each meringue with the back of a clean teaspoon (about the size of the bottom of a large strawberry)
Once baked and cool, but just before serving, drizzle a glob (1.5 teaspoons to a tablespoon full) of sour cream in the grooves then top it with clean, fresh ripe strawberries. These meringues are delicious even though they don't add any berries as the distinctive aroma of sour cream complements the sweetness of the meringue.
Tips
- Meringues can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Eggs are easier to separate when cold, but egg whites reach a fuller volume if left at room temperature for about 30 minutes before beating.
- To be successful, the egg whites must be completely unmixed with the yolks and all equipment must be clean. Egg yolks or any oil will make it difficult to beat the egg whites.
