RC-Monster Forums - View Single Post

Arct1k · 07:09 PM

He's just using eggs...

Perfect Meringues
By: Allrecipes Staff

Whether soft and fluffy on a pie, or as a crispy base to Pavlova, snowy white meringue is an ethereal delight.

A meringue at its simplest is made up of egg whites and sugar. Sometimes salt and an acid, like lemon juice or cream of tartar, is added to stabilize the egg foam.

The Basics
Use a clean, dry bowl. The bowl must be grease-free, because any trace amount of fat will wreck a meringue. Glass, ceramic, stainless steel, and copper bowls are all suitable. Plastic bowls may appear clean, but may still have trace amounts of oil, so do not use them.
Cold eggs separate easily, but eggs whip to a higher volume when at room temperature. The solution is to separate the cold eggs, and then set them aside for 10 or 15 minutes.
Separate each egg into two small bowls, one for the white and one for the yolk, and then add the white portion to the larger bowl. This allows you to reserve any with broken yolks for another purpose. Even a small amount of yolk can deflate the egg whites, so be careful.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basic Meringue

Cream of tartar, white vinegar, or lemon juice can all be used to stabilize a meringue.

Add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg white to the unbeaten eggs. (If you're using a copper bowl to make your meringue, don't add any acid: it can react with the copper and discolor the egg foam.)
Whip to medium-soft peaks. Beat in 2 tablespoons white sugar per egg white. Continue to beat until egg whites are glossy and hold a firm peak.
Adding sugar early in the beating process results in a firmer, finer-textured meringue.

	(#101)
Arct1k RC-Monster Mod Offline Posts: 6,597 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NJ	02.25.2009, 07:08 PM He's just using eggs... Perfect Meringues By: Allrecipes Staff Whether soft and fluffy on a pie, or as a crispy base to Pavlova, snowy white meringue is an ethereal delight. A meringue at its simplest is made up of egg whites and sugar. Sometimes salt and an acid, like lemon juice or cream of tartar, is added to stabilize the egg foam. The Basics Use a clean, dry bowl. The bowl must be grease-free, because any trace amount of fat will wreck a meringue. Glass, ceramic, stainless steel, and copper bowls are all suitable. Plastic bowls may appear clean, but may still have trace amounts of oil, so do not use them. Cold eggs separate easily, but eggs whip to a higher volume when at room temperature. The solution is to separate the cold eggs, and then set them aside for 10 or 15 minutes. Separate each egg into two small bowls, one for the white and one for the yolk, and then add the white portion to the larger bowl. This allows you to reserve any with broken yolks for another purpose. Even a small amount of yolk can deflate the egg whites, so be careful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic Meringue Cream of tartar, white vinegar, or lemon juice can all be used to stabilize a meringue. Add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg white to the unbeaten eggs. (If you're using a copper bowl to make your meringue, don't add any acid: it can react with the copper and discolor the egg foam.) Whip to medium-soft peaks. Beat in 2 tablespoons white sugar per egg white. Continue to beat until egg whites are glossy and hold a firm peak. Adding sugar early in the beating process results in a firmer, finer-textured meringue. Last edited by Arct1k; 02.25.2009 at 07:09 PM.