Useful tips for making meringues that you probably haven't heard of.
When I shared a summer cake meringue recipe (I'll leave a link at the end), you bombarded me with questions about it. It turned out that for many, cooking meringue (meringue) is a problem.
Therefore, I want to share with you tips that help me always prepare the perfect meringue.
1. Stale eggs
Fresh ingredients are best used in almost any dish. But this rule does not apply to meringues. For whipping the whites, it's best to keep them old.
The longer an egg is stored, the more it “shrinks”. Due to this, the protein becomes more viscous and whips better.
2. Beat eggs on medium speed
A very common problem is to under-beat or, on the contrary, over-beat proteins. If the under-whipped meringue can still be processed to the desired state, then the over-whipped meringue cannot be saved, it will stratify into foam and liquid.
Therefore, I prefer to beat the meringue on a medium mixer speed. I pour the egg whites into the bowl, add sugar, turn on the stationary mixer at medium speed and leave for 10-12 minutes. After this time, I periodically check the meringue until it beats to the state I need.
3. Dry below 100 ° С
Many people are mistaken that meringues need to be baked. This is not true. Meringues can be cooked even at room temperature, but it will take a day or more.
Meringue is not baked in the oven, but dried, that is, we get rid of excess moisture. The temperature accelerates the evaporation of the water, but if it is dried over 100 ° C, the sugar will begin to caramelize and the meringue will darken.
4. Open the oven after baking
In the previous paragraph, we figured out that meringues are not baked, but dried. Therefore, it is best to dry it under convection or exhaust mode. If there are no such modes, the easiest way is to open the oven from time to time and release the steam accumulated in it.
5. Whisk and use immediately
Use the meringue paste immediately after beating. If left for a long time, it will begin to settle and a layer of liquid may appear from below. Therefore, they beat it up and immediately sent it to dry in the oven.
Read the promised cake recipe for mid-summer link.