Meringue

Whites and sugar where the only reliable test is rubbing the mixture between finger and thumb, because grittiness means it will weep.

Egg. Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains egg, dairy (cream).

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 220 g caster sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cornflour, for a soft centre
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, for a soft centre

Method

1. THE SUGAR GOES IN A SPOONFUL AT A TIME AND THE BOWL IS RUBBED BETWEEN FINGER AND THUMB. That rub is the only test worth anything: if you can feel grains, the sugar has not dissolved, and undissolved sugar draws water out of the foam in the oven and leaves beads of syrup on the base. Smooth to the fingers, it will not weep. Keep whisking and test again -- it can take eight minutes.
2. SUGAR ADDED TOO EARLY OR TOO FAST STOPS THE FOAM BUILDING AT ALL. Whites first, to soft peaks, and only then the sugar. All of it tipped in at once gives a loose glossy cream that never stiffens.
3. A SPECK OF YOLK OR FAT AND IT WILL NOT WHIP. Separate them cold, one at a time into a cup, and tip each white across only when you can see it is clean. Then let them come to room temperature, which is where they whip fullest.
4. THE BOWL IS WIPED WITH VINEGAR FIRST. Any trace of grease from washing-up does the same damage as yolk, and nobody ever suspects the bowl.
5. Whites, cream of tartar and salt whipped on a medium speed to soft peaks that flop over.
6. The sugar added ONE TABLESPOON AT A TIME, about 15 seconds between each, the speed up to high.
7. Whipped on until stiff, glossy, and holding a sharp upright peak. The bowl can be held upside down over your head.
8. A pinch RUBBED BETWEEN FINGER AND THUMB. Gritty, whisk another minute and test again.
9. For a soft-centred pavlova: the cornflour and vinegar folded in now, briefly.
10. Piped or spooned onto lined trays. Shapes with points brown at the tips; smooth domes stay white.
11. FOR CRISP MERINGUES: 100C for 1 hour 30 minutes, then the oven switched OFF and left to cool completely inside, several hours or overnight. Taken out warm, they crack as they cool.
12. FOR A SOFT CENTRE: 150C for 10 minutes, then down to 120C for 1 hour, and the same slow cool.
13. They keep two weeks in a tin, and not at all in the fridge, which makes them sticky in an hour.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under France · All recipes