meringue

Making Of Meringue

Slightly older eggs work best,  which  means a few days old. Eggs separate best when they are cold.

There are various ways to separate eggs. Crack the shell and scoop the yolk from one half to the other while letting the white slip through. The danger is that it's all too easy to puncture the yolk. Some people like to empty the yolk into their (clean) palms and let the white slip through. Do what works best for you.

Make sure no yolk slips through. If it does, discard the white. For this reason, it is suggested that it's best to separate the whites first into a small bowl, then transfer them one by one to the mixing bowl. That way, if one yolk does contaminate a white, only one of the batch is affected, and nothing is wasted.

Once separated, let the egg whites come to come to room temperature. This takes about 30 minutes. Room-temperature eggs will be more voluminous when beaten.

Types of Meringues

Meringue is made by beating egg whites with sugar. It is often used as a topping for pie or baked into cookies such as macaroons. There are several types of meringue, from soft to hard, raw to cooked.

1.   Soft Meringue

o        Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie by flickr user Kasia/Flickr

Soft meringues, also called regular or ordinary meringues, are uncooked. Soft meringue is used to top pies and in the dessert known as Floating Island.

2.   Cooked Meringue

o        French Macaroons by flickr user SheriW

Cooked meringue is also made by beating sugar into egg whites. The meringue is then baked for about two hours, then left in the turned off oven to cool and dry out for another two hours. The result is a crisp, not soft meringue. Cooked meringues cannot be refrigerated or else they will become soggy.

3.   Italian Meringue

o        Baked Alaska by flickr user Lance McCord

Italian meringue incorporates a hot sugar syrup into the egg whites, so that the egg is cooked as it is whipped. Italian meringue is good for topping pies or Baked Alaska

4.   Swiss Meringue

o        Swiss meringues are made by whipping the egg whites and sugar together over a hot water bath or double boiler. The meringues are then baked until dry. Swiss Meringues are used to make cookies.

Tips For Successful Meringue Making

o        For all types of meringue, let the egg whites sit at room temperature for at least a half an hour. Avoid plastic bowls for mixing, as residues from the plastic may contaminate the egg whites. Adding cream of tartar may help to stabilize the meringue.