Top Tips For Perfect Meringues

Thu Nov 12 2015

Master the art of perfect meringues for a fail-safe dessert that always rises to the occasion. Stiff peaks and a glossy sheen are the hallmark of a good meringue mix. A basic rule of thumb is to double the weight of caster sugar to egg whites. Save the leftover eggs yolks to use in hollandaise sauce or crème Anglaise.

Crunchy, chewy, creamy and sweet, meringues are extremely versatile and the perfect blank canvas for tasty flavour combinations. To create a simple dessert that tastes as good as it looks, serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of whipped cream and berries.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

3 large egg whites – approx. 120g
240g Siúcra Caster Sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 170° fan.
Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before separating them.
Separate the eggs into a clean (not plastic) bowl. It’s important for no yolk to get into the whites.
Weigh your egg whites.
Then weigh double the amount of caster sugar.
Put sugar on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Then put it into the oven to warm for 6-7 minutes.
Whisk egg whites to soft peaks.
Remove sugar from oven and turn the oven down to 100°C fan.
Add the warm sugar gradually to egg whites and continue to whisk until thick and glossy.
Line baking trays with baking paper.
Put a small amount of the meringue mixture under baking paper to hold the baking paper down in the corners.
Spoon blobs of mixture onto trays or fill a piping bag and pipe directly onto the baking sheet.
Bake for an hour and a half in the oven.
After an hour and a half, turn off oven and allow to cool in the oven with the door closed to prevent cracking.