3 best ways to make meringues at home

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

All the secrets and a detailed description of cooking in the oven, microwave and multicooker.

7 secrets of the perfect meringue you need to know

Meringue recipes look simple: you need to beat the egg whites with powdered sugar and sometimes lemon juice. But to get a really airy dessert, you need to do everything right.

1. Eggs for meringues should not be the freshest, but about a week ago. The whites of these eggs are better beaten.
2. Separate the whites from the yolks as carefully as possible. If even a little yolk gets into the protein mass, it simply won't beat up.
3. You need to separate the whites from the yolks immediately after you take the eggs out of the refrigerator. But before whipping, the whites should stand at room temperature for half an hour. This will make the meringue base more fluffy.
4. Whisk the whites in a clean, dry bowl. The mixer attachments should be the same. Even with a drop of water or fat, you won't be able to whip the whites into a lather. For safety, you can first wipe the dishes with lemon juice, and then with a paper towel.
5. Use powdered sugar instead of sugar. If not, regular sugar can be ground in a coffee grinder. The protein mass is whipped better with powder. In addition, grains of sugar may remain in the meringue, which means that the dessert will not be as tender.
6. Powdered sugar should be added after you beat the whites into a lather, not before. It needs to be poured in portions, about a teaspoon, while continuing to beat the egg mass.
7. Lemon juice is added at the end so that the mass does not lose volume. Proceed at the rate of ½ teaspoon of juice per 1 egg white. But if you have a fairly powerful mixer that has already whipped the proteins into a stable foam, you do not need to add juice. In any case, it will not harm the finished dessert in any way.

How to cook meringue in the oven

This is a classic recipe that makes meringue airy and beautiful.

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites;
• 180 g icing sugar.

What else can you add to the meringue

The taste and appearance of a classic meringue will help diversify:

• vanillin;
• cinnamon;
• food extracts or flavors (vanilla, almond, mint, fruit, etc.);
• food colors (gel colors will make the meringue more shiny, and powder ones - matte);
• chopped nuts;
• cocoa;
• coconut flakes.

They are added to the protein mass at the end of cooking.

But be careful. Oils (such as nuts) and liquids can interfere with foam formation. Therefore, it is better to add just a little than to overdo it and ruin the meringue.

If you want to add food flavors, never use alcohol-based flavors. He, too, will not let the proteins rise.

Preparation

Separate the whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites with a mixer at first on low speed for about 30 seconds. When the whites are just starting to foam, increase the speed to medium and beat until a thick white foam forms.

Then add the icing sugar gradually. Turn off the mixer and stir the meringue base with a spoon, picking up the protein mass from the walls, which splashed during the whipping process.

Then beat on high speed for a few more minutes. You should have a thick foam with a uniform consistency. You can check the readiness of the meringue base, oddly enough, by lifting the container with it upside down: the protein mass should remain in place.

Put the finished base in a culinary bag. You can get by with an ordinary spoon, but the dessert will not be so beautiful.

Preheat oven to 100 ° C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form a meringue on it.

Place the baking sheet in the oven on a medium level for 1-1.5 hours. Cooking time depends on the size of the meringue: the smaller they are, the faster they will be ready. For meringues that are too large, it will take about 2 hours.

Do not open the oven while cooking. Due to the temperature difference, the meringue can crack. The finished meringue should be easy to separate from the parchment.

After cooking, turn off the oven, open the door slightly and leave the meringue inside until it cools completely for several hours.

How to cook meringue in a multicooker

Multicooker meringues are no different from oven meringues. This cooking method is suitable, for example, if it is not possible to use the oven.

The proportions of the ingredients and the method of preparing the meringue base also do not differ from the classic recipe. But keep in mind that you will have to cook the meringue in portions or reduce the amount of ingredients 2-3 times.

Preparation

Place parchment paper or foil on the bottom of the multicooker. Form a meringue on it with a spoon or a cooking bag a short distance apart.

Turn on the Bake mode and cook with the lid open for 1 hour 20 minutes. Under a closed lid, the meringue will not dry out. After cooking, leave the meringue in a multicooker with the lid open until it cools completely.

How to cook meringues in the microwave

This meringue will not be as airy as a dessert from the oven or multicooker. In the microwave, the meringue heats up from the inside, so after cooking it quickly settles.

The advantage of this method is that you will need very little time. The meringue will also be crisper.

The amount of ingredients and the preparation method for the meringue base differ from the classic recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 egg white;
• 150 g icing sugar.

Preparation

Separate the white from the yolk. Mix protein and powdered sugar. You can do this with a mixer, or you can use a whisk or a regular spoon. This will create a thick dough that you can knead with your hands.

Divide it into several small pieces and roll them into balls. Place the balls on a parchment or paper towel lined dish, at a fairly large distance from each other.

Cook the meringue at maximum power for 30 seconds. During the cooking process, the dough will spread, so the meringue will turn out to be flat.

How and how much to store meringues

Meringue does not tolerate moisture well, so it will get damp in the refrigerator. It should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for no longer than a week.

By the way, meringues can be cooked even without eggs. To do this, use aquafaba - a liquid from boiled legumes, which is whipped into a lush foam. You can find a detailed recipe for such a custom meringue at the end of this article: