MERINGUES WITH PRALINE CREAM RECIPE - TOM KERRIDGE (2024)

FAQs

What must be avoided when making meringue? ›

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an excellent way to foolproof your meringue. Use it to create added fluff and keep your hard-won volume from shrinking. Cream of Tartar: Often added in when making meringues, acidic cream of tartar provides lift and stabilization.

The pasteurization process can prevent egg whites from forming a stable meringue. We recommend fresh eggs over "liquid egg whites previously packaged" for better volume. Use fresh egg whites. Old egg whites tend to collapse when other ingredients are folded in, and they don't rise well in the oven.

The more sugar added to a meringue mixture, the denser and smoother the final foam will be. Sugar inhibits the eggwhite protein from forming bonds around air pockets, so the more sugar you incorporate, the less airy the foam will be. Adding the sugar too late and/or too slowly.

No yolks here! Surprisingly, fat is the enemy of a good meringue. Think about it this way: Egg yolks are what you use when you want a dense, luscious dessert like mousse or chocolate pudding. Egg whites provide the lightest, airiest texture you can imagine.

Beat a mixture of thickened cornstarch and water into the egg whites to bind and stabilize the liquid in the meringue (and keep it from seeping out).

It can be made with any sugar. One cup of superfine sugar or packed brown sugar is equal to 1 cup of granulated sugar; 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar equals 1 cup granulated. Superfine sugar may dissolve more readily and produce a smoother glossier meringue, but volume will not be as great.

Use ultrafine Baker's Sugar for meringues and other baked goods – it dissolves faster than regular granulated sugar. Use ultrafine Baker's Sugar to help prevent “weeping” or sogginess. Meringues will weep if there's any undissolved sugar. Don't put granulated sugar in a food processor to achieve a finer grain.

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

How do you know when to stop whisking meringue? ›

Whip to just stiff peaks: once the meringue is thick and glossy you can turn the mixer off and check it by removing the whisk attachment and turning it upside down. As soon as you see no droop, stop. It helps to check it often so you don't risk overwhipping without realizing it.

If your whipped egg whites become curdled and dry, they have gone too far. After excessive whipping, the proteins can get so close to each other, they essentially suffocate and expel the water contained within their circle, causing your foam to separate.

There are 3 styles of meringues out there, all made in slightly different methods but all with similar ingredients. White sugar and egg whites are the main players, and many recipes add in salt and/or cream of tartar as helpers. Salt helps to balance the sweetness a little. Cream of tartar is a dry acid (tartaric acid!

The sugar also enables the meringue to stretch and have a high content of air bubbles that can make the meringue light and airy. Typically, refined white granulated sugar is used; however, it is a simple carbohydrate with no beneficial health effects, although it does improve consumer perception.

This usually happens if your meringue is made when it's super humid or if the egg whites and sugar aren't mixed correctly. To keep your fresh meringue from doing this, all you have to do is pay special attention to the recipe instructions to be sure you're following them exactly.

The speed of whisk, length of time whisking, cleanliness of egg (i.e. no yolk), state of the bowl (e.g. needs to be clean and dry) etc.

Meringue rule 1: Don't let any egg yolk wind up in your bowl. This was the first rule I learned in culinary school. Yolks equal fat, and fat makes it pretty much impossible for the proteins in your egg whites to unravel and start forming bubbles.

Never use a plastic mixing bowl – Choose a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl (and make sure it is 100% clean and dry) to whip up your meringue. Plastic bowls might have traces of oil from previous recipes or foods, and that can keep your meringue from setting up!