meringue questions & recipe (includes microwave version)

squeaky

Hmm... were you whisking the sugar in?

If so you've overdone the whisking and made the bonds "break". This is difficult to recover from. Especially when using a powered mixer thingy. Sometimes you can recover by adding an extra egg white and carefully whisking again - but it doesn't always work; and it really is hard to judge when using a machine, and certainly by hand it takes a lot of time and effort. It's up to you to decide whether or not to try this, or just give up and start again.

Anyway, the lesson learned is that you shouldn't whisk the sugar in but "fold" it in. I.e. scatter some of your sugar over the mix and then, with a large spoon or spatula, just turn the mixture over a few times (kinda like using a spoon to fold laundry ) and so on... until you've added all the sugar.

HTH

zippychick

I've merged this with our main meringue making thread to see if you can find any other handy tips - good luck!

Crap_with_money.com

thanks zippy - I didn't realise the thread existed!

I ended up binning the first lot, and the next two as well in fact! 18 eggs later and I'd made nothing but a mess!

I've started another attempt this morning but am not hopeful! I used the electric whisk til it was firm, then gently stirred the sugar in a little at a time.

The mixture definitely got a little softer, although it still held it's shape when I spooned it out onto grease proof paper. Little bits of it have "spilled" over the side though.

It's now been in for 20 mins, and has started to rise, but is going a little brown - does this mean it hasn't worked? Should I turn the temp down maybe in the oven? Its a fan assisted oven and is at 140 degrees, the recipe said to leave it for an hour before turning the heat off, but I'm worried it'll be burnt to a cinder by then?

xx

jackieglasgow

oven is too hot I do meringues at 110(fan oven_ . What recipe are you using - I whisk my sugar in, and it works fine. I will look for Rachel Allen making meringues for you, her recipe is idiot proof and her turorials are fantastic.

Here's the Rachel Allen recipe most similar to what I do, just don't add the colouring http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/607033

I couldn't find a video of this episode!

Crap_with_money.com

Thanks Jackie - I've turned it down to 100 - sheesh - this is hard bloomin' work! I'm wishing i'd just stuck to a simple cheese cake!

Is it worth perservering with them? Or should I pull them out and start again?


I was using a Delia smith recipe!

xx

jackieglasgow

Try them anyway. You also should leave them in the oven until they are cold to let them dry out. I make mine late at might, and leave them in the oven until morning.

- just noticed there is a video turorial on that page for making meringues, just not the one I wanted.

Meringues really are quite easy to do once you've got the knack of them, don't be scared of them, either!

Crap_with_money.com

Well - attempt number 5 has now made it's way into the oven at 110 degrees! If this doesn't work I can honestly say I'll never attempt to whisk another egg in my life!

Thanks so much for the advice Jackie - here's hoping it might just have worked!!

xx

jackieglasgow

Fingers xx'd for you. Did you try the other recipe?x

csarina

I used to make hundreds of meringues for the garden open days. a teaspoon of cornflour in with the sugar will give you a crisp merangie that lets in the mouth.

I used to cook it for 1 hr on 300 and then turn the oven off and leave them till the morning.......they store very well in an airtight tin. I even brought a baked pavlova case up here when we moved in February it was wrapped in greasproof and then foil and laid very gently on the top of a box surrounded by a nest of tea towels, just a little bit broke off the side when I unpacked it.........it was srummy with whipped cream and de-frosted raspberries in it...

ThursdayNext_2

I like using meringue as a topping for puddings -

e.g. if you have some old cake to use up, put it in slices in the bottom of a greased baking dish, cover with stewed apple, and then meringue mixture (made with 2oz sugar for each egg white). Bake at gas mark 2 for about an hour - the top goes crisp but turns to toffee when you chew it, and the underneath is all soft and foamy.

I've also found that light soft brown sugar works really well as an alternative to caster sugar - a bit more of a toffee-ish flavour.