Hi, any tips on how to make perfect meringues please?

Question

I can never seem to get them right, but I do have a rubbish electric cooker!

Answer 1

Generally speaking, a meringue is a confection made by whipping egg whites and sugar together until firm. There are three basic techniques for making meringue, known colloquially as French, Swiss, and Italian.

French meringue -- sometimes referred to as "ordinary" -- is the most basic of the trio and the least stable until baked. Egg whites are beaten until they coagulate and form soft peaks, at which point sugar is slowly incorporated until the mixture has attained full volume; is soft, airy, and light; and stands at attention when the whip is lifted. French meringue is customarily spooned or piped into different forms, including dessert shells (such as vacherins) and cake layers (as in a dacquoise), and baked, later to be topped with fruit, mousse, or whipped cream. It is also often folded into batters (for lady fingers, sponge cakes, soufflés, and the like) and baked.

Swiss meringue is prepared by gently beating egg whites and sugar in a pan that sits above boiling water, without touching it. When the mixture reaches 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and the sugar is completely dissolved, the mixture is pulled off the heat and beaten vigorously to increase and attain full volume and then at a lower speed until cool and very stiff. Swiss meringue is smoother, silkier, and somewhat more dense than French meringue and is often used as a base for buttercream frostings.

Italian meringue is made by drizzling 240-degree Fahrenheit sugar syrup into whites that have already been whipped to hold firm peaks. Whipping continues until the meringue is fully voluminous, satiny, stiff, and cool. Italian meringue is often used to frost cakes (alone or as a base for buttercream frostings), to top filled pies, or to lighten ice creams, sorbets, and mousses.

The structure of freshly whipped meringues varies in stability depending on the degree to which their egg whites are cooked. Because eggs whites are whipped in their raw state, French meringues not stable and all and prone to deterioration. It is in the oven where French meringues become stable. According to Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking (Scribner, 1984), sugar enhances the egg foam's stability in the presence of heat -- it keeps the unstable raw meringue from collapsing because it helps delay the evaporation of the water in the meringue until after the egg whites have coagulated. Simply put, the meringue takes shape and then the water evaporates out of it. Swiss meringue is somewhat more stable than French because the eggs are partially cooked with sugar on the stovetop, and need to either be used right away or baked. Italian meringue is the only completely cooked meringue. When the 240 degree Fahrenheit sugar syrup meets the whipped whites, it raises the whites' temperature well above 160 degree Fahrenheit, rendering them cooked and completely stable. Italian meringues need no further cooking or baking and are often used right out of the bowl as frostings.

Answer 2

This is my bible recipe: makes fantastic Meringues. Meringues should never be rushed. Slow cooking is the best method!!

Ingredients
For the meringues:

2 large egg whites
4 oz (110 g) white caster sugar

Method: -

To make the meringues, place the egg whites in a large bowl and, using an electric hand whisk on a low speed, begin whisking. Continue for about 2 minutes, until the whites are foamy, then switch the speed to medium and carry on whisking for 1 more minute. Now turn the speed to high and continue whisking until the egg whites reach the stiff-peak stage. Next, whisk the sugar in on fast speed, a little at a time (about a dessertspoon), until you have a stiff and glossy mixture.

Now all you do is spoon 8 heaped dessertspoons of the mixture on to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Then, using the back of the spoon or a small palette knife, hollow out the centres. Don't worry if they are not all the same shape – random and rocky is how I would describe them. Next, pop them on the centre shelf of the oven, immediately reduce the heat to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C) and leave them for 30 minutes. After that, turn the oven off and leave the meringues to dry out in the warmth of the oven until it is completely cold (usually about 4 hours) or overnight. The meringues will store well in a tin or polythene box, and will even freeze extremely well. Yummy with strawberries and fresh cream!! xx

Answer 3

You don't say whether your problem is with the preparation or the cooking of the meringue.

With preparation, the golden rule is that there must not be a trace of oil, fat, grease, butter etc. on anything that the raw egg white touches - otherwise, total disaster! So, as previous answers have said, the bowl and tools must not only be clean in the normal way, i.e washed and dried, but they must also free of any specks of grease.

Cooking varies, depending on the type of meringue. Why not try going to Wikipedia and using their links to the different recipes which require different types of meringue.

Basically, like many "delicate" dishes it is important to follow the recipe and cooking guidlelines closely at first, until you know how to make the dish blindfold!

A final word of advice - using silicone or non-stick kitchen paper on the baking tray will make handling the meringues much easier when they are cooked.

Happy munching...

Answer 4

First, make sure that your bowl is completely clean when you are beating the egg whites, so that they get as fluffy as possible.

When you are cooking them, make sure you do it at a fairly low temperature. If the temperature is too high they will get sticky. You want to dry them out more than you want to cook them. So if you make them on a humid day, you will have to cook them longer. A dry day is best.

You can also turn the oven off, leave the over door slightly ajar, and let the meringues sit in there for a half hour or so after baking.

Answer 5

The oven needs to be really low & cook them for a long time. Also athough you need to have the mixture stiff it shouldnt be overbeaten. Pavlova might be worth a try. Although it is just a big meringue it is supposed to be kind of chewy in the middle which may be easier for you if your oven isnt so great

Answer 6

all of these other answers are right, but if you use cream of tarter your meringues will not separate from the pie, this is a common problem and almost all of us have suffered from. then make sure the filling is the same temp as the meringues before you brown the tops, this also helps to prevent shrinkage and separation .

good luck

Answer 7

yes i have a tip!! when preparing your eggs always make sure you have very clean utensils and containers and a cold atmosphere as this will interfere with cooking your meringue. also make sure to always preheat your oven and never open until time stated. hope this helps.

Answer 8

4 egg white a little sugar tsp whisk very vigorously to get plenty of air into it ,nice and stiff,but make sure you pe-heat the oven,specially as yours is electric,put stiff mixture into tray pop it in the oven and bake till golden and crisp 15 to 20 Min's depending on how knackered your cooker is, may I suggest you ask a neighbour to pop it in their gas oven and you will treat them to some,

Answer 9

Spread the meringue all the way to the edge of the crust to keep it from shrinking. Humidity will make it weep.

Answer 10

cook them at 200 degrees for 25 mins, then smother them with badger oil. Then cook for a further 10 minutes