Meringues
Classic Meringues
I love meringues. That first crunch followed by a melt in your mouth sweetness. I’ve made meringues in a lot of different flavors, colors and shapes over the years but I seem to gravitate back to basics. egg whites, powdered sugar and cream of tartar. Pretty simple for something that tastes and looks so amazing. I think in the past, people who made meringues must have been pretty strong. Think of having to beat egg whites to stiff peaks before the days of electric mixers. Today with a stand mixer the process is easy.
Classic Meringue
5 egg whites
1 t. cream oftartar
3 c. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. Place eggs in mixing bowl or bowl from stand mixer and start to beat. When whites become foamy add the cream of tartar and beat a couple minutes longer. Add the powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time until it is all mixed in. Continue beating the egg white mixture until it appears glossy and holds a stiff peak. This will take anywhere from 7-12 minutes, depending on your mixer. Place egg white mixture in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and start to form meringues on baking sheet by squeezing some out into desired size and shape. They do not grow at all while baking so you can place them close together on baking sheet. Continue with remaining meringue batter. Place baking sheets in oven. Prop door open a little with a wooden spoon and bake for 90 minutes. Remove wooden spoon so oven door is now closed and bake for 90 minutes longer. Cool a few minutes then remove from the trays. Store cooled meringues in an air-tight container.
Note: You can add flavorings like vanilla, mint or almond with a few drops of extract near the end of the whipping process. You can also add a few drops of food coloring for tinted meringues.
Beat until stiff peaks form
Pipe onto baking sheet
Fresh-baked Meringues
