Meringues are a light, airy, and delicate confection that can be enjoyed on their own or used as a topping for pies, cakes, and other desserts. They are made from egg whites, sugar, and sometimes cream of tartar or vinegar, and are typically flavored with vanilla extract. While meringues can seem intimidating to make, they are actually quite easy to prepare with the right tools and ingredients. In this article, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to make perfect meringues, as well as some tips and tricks for troubleshooting common problems.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
MERINGUES
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 3h25m
Yield about 20 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer); beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium high; beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, then add the extract or zest. Continue beating until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
- For colored cookies, swirl a few drops of food coloring into the meringue or use a small paintbrush to paint 3 long stripes of food coloring up the inside of a pastry bag. For chocolate chip versions, gently fold the mini chocolate chips into the mixture.
- Drop or pipe the meringue as desired, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the meringues stand in the oven until dry, about 2 hours. Top with or dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with nonpareils.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 32 calorie, Fat 0 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Cholesterol 0 milligrams, Sodium 23 milligrams, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Protein 1 grams, Sugar 8 grams
BASIC MERINGUE
While it may seem daunting, a basic meringue is nothing more than a mixture of beaten egg whites and sugar. It's a must-have topping for many desserts, everything from a classic Lemon Meringue Pie to a Heavenly Baked Alaska, and if you follow these simple steps you'll be a master meringue maker in no time.
Categories Meringue
Time 14m
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until sugar is dissolved and stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Spread over hot pie filling in decorative swirls.
- Bake pie in preheated 425°F (220°C) oven until tips of meringue are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Makes topping for a 9-inch (23 cm) pie.
Nutrition Facts :
VANILLA MERINGUE COOKIES
Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network
Categories dessert
Time 1h30m
Yield 24 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F; line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat until the mixture is frothy and soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between each addition. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat for an additional 5 minutes. The egg whites should be glossy and stiff but not dry.
- Spoon the mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 2-inch cookies onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between each cookie.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the cookies in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
GOOD MERINGUE
Egg whites beaten with cream of tartar, then sugar until those famous stiff peaks form...golly, that's good meringue! A nice, basic recipe.
Provided by sal
Categories Desserts Frostings and Icings
Time 15m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture forms stiff peaks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 78.8 calories, Carbohydrate 18.9 g, Protein 1.4 g, Sodium 20.8 mg, Sugar 18.8 g
EASY MERINGUE TOPPING
This is the simple recipe to create a meringue topping for your pies. This recipe is enough for 8 inch Pie. **For a 9 inch pie-Use 3 egg whites,6 TB sugar.** **For a 10 inch pie,4 egg whites,1/2 cup sugar**
Provided by OceanIvy
Categories Dessert
Time 17m
Yield 1 pie
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Beat the egg whites until frothy.
- Gradually add in the sugar,continuing to beat until stiff.
- Combine vanilla extract.
- Spread over pie and bake at least 10-15 minutes at 350.
MERINGUE COOKIES
This recipe can be doubled, but if you do, don't double the chocolate chips. Best if eaten in a few days.
Provided by Pat K.
Categories Desserts Cookies Drop Cookie Recipes
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). To prevent burning you can bake on an air cushion baking sheet or put parchment paper on a regular cookie sheet.
- Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla until very firm. Gradually add sugar and mix. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Drop by teaspoonfuls on pan. Bake 300 degrees for 25 minutes. They should only be lightly browned.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 119.2 calories, Carbohydrate 21.4 g, Fat 4.2 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 1.2 g, SaturatedFat 2.5 g, Sodium 35.1 mg, Sugar 20.2 g
AUTHENTIC FRENCH MERINGUES
Authentic French Meringues from a patisserie in France.
Provided by RANDYVH
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French
Time 3h20m
Yield 36
Number Of Ingredients 2
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Butter and flour a baking sheet.
- In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy using an electric mixer. Sprinkle in sugar a little at a time, while continuing to whip at medium speed. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny like satin, stop mixing, and transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheet using a large round tip or star tip.
- Place the meringues in the oven and place a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it from closing all the way. Bake for 3 hours, or until the meringues are dry, and can easily be removed from the pan. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 31 calories, Carbohydrate 7.5 g, Protein 0.4 g, Sodium 6.2 mg, Sugar 7.4 g
ULTIMATE MERINGUE
Perfect your whisking skills for these light baked meringues - a blank canvas for tasty flavour combinations.
Provided by Angela Nilsen
Categories Afternoon tea, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Treat
Time 2h15m
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼.
- Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
- Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
- Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
- Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy.
- Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape. Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer.
- Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
- Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 210 calories, Fat 9.6 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 31 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 30 grams sugar, Protein 2.1 grams protein, Sodium 0.12 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Use the freshest egg whites possible. Older egg whites may not whip up as well and can result in a meringue that is not as stable.
- Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature before you start whipping them. This will help them whip up more easily and quickly.
- Whip the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl. Any grease or residue in the bowl can prevent the egg whites from whipping up properly.
- Start whipping the egg whites on low speed and gradually increase the speed as they start to foam. This will help to prevent the egg whites from becoming over-whipped.
- Whip the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks. This means that when you lift the whisk out of the bowl, the peaks of the meringue should stand up straight.
- Add the sugar gradually to the egg whites while continuing to whip. This will help to prevent the meringue from becoming grainy.
- Once all of the sugar has been added, continue to whip the meringue for a few minutes until it is glossy and smooth.
- Use the meringue immediately or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Conclusion:
Making meringues is a relatively simple process, but it does require some care and attention to detail. By following the tips above, you can ensure that your meringues turn out perfectly every time. Whether you are using them to top a pie, make a batch of cookies, or simply enjoy them on their own, meringues are a delicious and versatile treat that everyone will love.
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