Easy Meringue Recipe
A recipe for crisp, melt-in-the-mouth meringue based on French meringue, easy to make with just two ingredients: egg whites and sugar. A great way to use up your leftover egg whites.
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EQUIPEMENTS
INGREDIENTS
- 150 g (5.3 oz) room-temperature egg whites
- 150 g (5.3 oz )granulated sugar
- 150 g (5.3 oz) powdered sugar, sifted
- Gel food coloring
- Gel flavouring if you wish to flavour the meringue
PREPARATION
- Whip egg whites for 5 minutes at medium speed. Then gradually add half the caster sugar (75g /2.65 oz) ) while continuing to whisk.
- Whisk for 3 minutes after incorporating this first portion, then gradually add the remaining sugar.
- Whip for a further 3 to 5 minutes until the meringue is firm. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, lowering the speed of the stand mixer to prevent it from flying away.
- Note: If you're worried about the meringue falling over in the stand mixer, you can gently fold in the powdered sugar with a skimmer or maryse, without overworking the mixture.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to bring the powdered sugar down to the center. Whisk for another 1 minute. The result is a very firm meringue with a bird's beak.
- Divide the meringue among several bowls if you wish to color it.
- Add a small amount of gel food coloring of your choice, then mix gently until you achieve an even color.
- Use the piping tips suited for the design you want to create. I used Wilton's 1M tip to form roses and a PF tip for petit fours.
- Preheat oven to 100°C ( 212°F). For very white meringues, you can set it to 90°C (194°F).
- Fill piping bags with meringue.
- For a bicolor effect, draw stripes of gel food coloring inside the piping bag, then fill it with meringue.
- Place a sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray, applying a small amount of meringue to make it stick.
- Pipe roses, gently pressing to remove the tip, or create small rosettes or other shapes as desired.
- Bake for 1 to 1.5 hours at 100°C (212°F), or 1.5 to 2.5 hours at 90°C (194°F). The aim is to dry the meringues, not bake them.
- Open the oven slightly at least 3 times during baking to release steam and prevent the meringues from cracking.
- Remove them from the oven once they are completely dry and easily come off the baking sheet.
Notes
Key points to remember about meringue baking:
- The meringues should not brown or change color.
- You can put two baking sheets in the oven at the same time.
- Keep the remaining piped meringue on the countertop until you're ready to put it in the oven.
- The goal is to dry the meringues, not to bake them, so feel free to lower the temperature for a slow bake without the risk of coloring.
Tried this recipe? Don't forget to tag me on @gateau_et_cuisine_rachida or #gateauetcuisinerachida!