Meringue is a light, low-fat mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar that is used to make pies or cookies.The quality of the eggs, time you spend beating the whites, and the oven temperature are all important to achieving a thick and glossy texture.Learn how to make the dessert.
Step 1: The eggs are separated.
Carefully separate the whites from the yolks in a bowl.The white will fall into the bowl as the yolk is poured from one shell to the other.If your recipe calls for 2 or 3 eggs, repeat with as many as you can.The yolks can be used in ice cream or custard.If you don't want to use the shell transfer method, use a different technique.
Step 2: Egg whites can be kept at room temperature for 30 minutes.
It's important to allow time for the eggs to come to room temperature because they affect the texture of the finished meringue.The bowl should not be too close to a hot oven or a cool spot.
Step 3: The egg whites should be beaten with cream of tartar.
The binding substance helps the egg whites form into peaks.Most recipes call for a small amount of cream of tartar.The egg whites and cream of tartar should be foamy with soft peaks after being beat with a hand mixer.
Step 4: Continue beating while adding sugar.
The sugar should be added slowly with one hand as you beat the meringue with the other.1/3 cup sugar is needed for every 2 egg whites.Continue beating until the peaks form.As you add the sugar, the mixture will take on a glossy sheen.
Step 5: The peaks can be tested.
The hand mixer is in the bowl.The peaks should stay in place when you remove the beaters.The mixture should remain in place when you tilt the bowl.The meringue is ready to be used in a recipe.
Step 6: Before beating, make sure the mixture is at room temperature.
You won't be able to create the stiff, glossy peaks you need to make a good meringue if it's too warm or cold.
Step 7: Don't mix the egg whites with the shell.
You won't be able to achieve good volume and high peaks if you have a small splatter of yolk.The heavy yolk changes the composition of the mixture.It's best to start over rather than trying to get rid of it.You can avoid getting shell in the whites by cracking the eggs over a different bowl than the one you use to mix up the meringue.
Step 8: If you get water in the bowl, don't drink from it.
Make sure the bowl you use is clean and dry.If you get the merest drop of water in the bowl during the mixing process, you will ruin the dish.
Step 9: Don't pour the sugar all at the same time.
To achieve glossy peaks, you need to add the sugar slowly.
Step 10: Meringue can be used as a pie topping.
Since baking the pie with slightly softer peaks will still turn out beautifully, it's less complicated than you might think.Place the pie filling in the oven and bake it until it is light brown at the tips, then spread the meringue across the top.Mini peaks and curls can be used to make the pie look more decorative.Use the back of a spoon to lightly touch the surface of the meringue and lift it into a small peak after you spread it on the pie surface.The pattern should be repeated on the rest of the pie.It's a good idea to make sure your oven temperature isn't too hot.The peaks need to hold because of the low heat.
Step 11: The cookies should be made of meringue.
If you want to make cookies, make sure your meringue has been beaten long enough to form thick, stiff peaks.The cookie sheet has a spoon on it.The back of the spoon can be used to lightly press the center of a cookie.If you want the cookies to turn golden brown, bake them for 10 minutes.You can use cinnamon, pumpkin spice, small chocolate chips, or cocoa powder to flavor the cookies.If you want to make prettier cookies, fill an icing bag with meringue and pipe them onto the cookie sheet with a decorate tip.You can make ridged swirls with this method.In a bowl, mix a few drops of peppermint extract and red food coloring.After piping the meringue onto the cookie sheet, use a small clean paintbrush to pain candy cane-like stripes around the ridges of the cookies before baking them.