Proportions for meringue in grams. Meringue in the oven - a sweet and airy dessert

Meringue! This snow-white miracle, light and airy, immediately appears. It seems to many that it is very difficult to cook meringue at home. I want to show you that this is not the case at all. The main thing is that you need to comply with certain conditions and then you will definitely get this snow-white delicacy. It is very important to carefully separate the proteins from the yolks for meringue preparation so that not a single drop of the yolk gets into the proteins. And yet, the dishes in which the proteins will be whipped should be clean and dry, without drops of fat or water on the walls.

Ingredients

So, to make meringue at home, we need:

egg whites - 2 pcs.;

sugar - 100 g.

Cooking steps

We send it to a cold oven, set the temperature to 100 degrees and leave for 1 hour. Then we reduce the temperature to 60 degrees and leave to bake for another 1 hour. In the last hour, you can open the oven door with a wooden spoon, because the meringue does not bake, but dries up.

Airy meringue, prepared at home, is ready! Eat and enjoy!

Happy tea!

The classic meringue recipe is meringue baked in compliance with all the rules. It seems that baking meringues at home is not at all difficult, it is enough just to simply beat egg whites with sugar, but rarely do any housewife get meringues the first time. The thing is that there are certain rules in the technology of making meringue according to the classic recipe, and if you neglect at least one of them, there will be no good result.

Classic meringue recipe: determining the amount of ingredients

Initially, you need to decide how many cakes you need to bake. And the point here is not only in the appetites of thirsty sweets, but also in the size of the baking sheet. You can focus on the fact that according to the classic recipe, about 10 small meringues will turn out from protein from 1 medium egg.

Have you looked at your pan? We cook the required number of eggs, of course, they must be fresh. You will also need sugar, regular granulated sugar. For the classic version of the meringue recipe, it must be taken on the basis that 50g of sugar is needed for 1 protein from an egg.

In this case, two eggs and 100g of sugar are used.

A step-by-step recipe for making classic meringue at home:

Meringue is baked in the oven, therefore, it must first be turned on and heated to 100-110 ° C.

The first step in cooking is separating the egg whites from the yolks. Here is the first important rule. All dishes must be clean and dry, without greasy stains and so on. Water and fat (as well as pieces from the yolk) will not allow the proteins to whip to the desired consistency. Break the egg with a sharp knife, being careful not to break the yolk, and separate the white by simply moving the yolk from shell to shell, or you can use a special kitchen tool. Squirrels are best laid out immediately in the bowl in which you will whip. The cup should be large enough and deep, at least seven to eight times the amount of raw proteins.

Pour sugar into the whites. Now you can start whipping. According to the classic recipe for making meringue, you need to do this only with a mixer. It just seems that the blender beats in the same way, nothing like that - it grinds! And it is theoretically possible to beat whites correctly with an ordinary hand whisk, but this will require an incredible amount of strength. And why is this necessary, if progress offers us such helpers as a combine?

You can whip immediately at high speed. The goal is to achieve such a consistency of the protein-sugar mass, so that when forming any intricate figures, they do not change their shape, but continue to keep it well. This consistency of classic meringue whipped egg whites is often referred to online as "strong peaks". As a rule, this takes approximately 15 minutes.

The mass is ready, you can lay out the future cakes on a baking sheet (it would be good to cover it with baking parchment beforehand). You can spread the mass just with a spoon, but the meringues will turn out much more beautiful if you deposit them with a culinary bag with a nozzle.

Remove the tray to the hot oven. Meringues are baked for a long time - just over an hour. More precisely, they are not even baked, but simply “dry” in the oven. The oven must not be opened during cooking. Meringues can fall off and turn into scary cakes. Ideal when there is glass and a light bulb in the oven.

It is imperative to control whether the bottom or top burns, if it becomes noticeable earlier than the specified time, you need to reduce the temperature. In about an hour with a tail, the cakes will be ready. But you shouldn’t take them out right away, it’s better to let them cool in the oven for another 15 minutes, and only then remove them.

Meringue is ready! Particularly impatient can start tasting, and if there is still time and desire, then you can glue two meringues together with butter cream. Ready-made classic meringue is often used in cake recipes to decorate them, for example, and “dispose of” the remaining yolks by preparing simple yolk cookies.

Enjoy your meal!

Meringue is not only oven-dried meringues, but also an air layer for a cake, a base for biscuit cakes, soufflé, mousse and light cream, a wonderful decoration for muffins, cupcakes and other desserts. Therefore, everyone needs to be able to beat proteins with sugar correctly. Knowing all the rules and subtleties of technology, you can easily cope not only with meringue, but also be able to master the preparation of French macarons, "Kyiv" cake and Pavlova dessert, learn how to bake crispy cakes, prepare air layers and all kinds of decorative roses.

Meringues: the theory of the question

What can be difficult in whipping egg whites with sugar? And how can you achieve a variety of textures and tastes from two products? The thing is that you can beat to different peaks, add sugar or hot syrup to the protein mass, brew in a bath ... Let's take a look at everything in order: how to cook meringue correctly, what types or types of meringue are, how to use it and where it is better to store .

What kind of eggs are best for meringues?

During long-term storage, moisture gradually evaporates through the egg shell, the protein seems to dry out slightly and becomes viscous, it stretches better, the bubbles retain air and do not burst. Therefore, for meringues, it is best to use eggs a week old or more. Confectioners recommend "aging" the proteins, that is, separating them from the yolks and leaving them in a bowl for several days - in the refrigerator or at room temperature (for the "Kyiv" cake). A similar effect can be achieved if the proteins are filtered through a fine sieve.

How to separate whites from yolks?

Separating into protein and yolk is best when the eggs are chilled, because the cold yolk has a denser shell, it does not tear as much as the warm one. Therefore, it makes sense to work with eggs just taken out of the refrigerator.

Remember to wash your hands and chicken eggs with soap beforehand to prevent salmonella infection. Then prepare 4 bowls: 1 for proteins, 2 for yolks, 3 for eggs in which the protein and yolk are mixed, 4 for the dishes you will work on. Such a system is very convenient, you will be insured against the fact that the yolk mass, a piece of shell or a spoiled egg will get into the proteins.

Hit the egg lightly on the edge of the bowl to create a crack in the center of the egg (another way is to hit it on the table), with both hands, separate the egg into two halves, holding one in each hand. You can separate manually by pouring the yolk from one half of the shell to the other so that the protein drains, or use special devices for eggs, which are now very much on sale.

What temperature should whites be?

There is a myth that whites should be whipped cold. Of course, chilled proteins whip into foam faster, but they also fall off just as quickly. What does science tell us? If the proteins are warm, then their molecular network is more flexible and stretchable, so the air that enters it during whipping is better retained. Whipping warm protein, you get a lot of small air bubbles that do not burst, the meringue remains stable longer.

Therefore, after you have separated the proteins, they should be heated to 22-25 degrees. If you forgot to remove the bowl from the refrigerator in advance, then place it in warm water for 5-10 minutes - the proteins will warm up to room temperature.

What is the correct proportion of protein-sugar?

The standard proportion of protein:sugar for the preparation of the main hard meringue is 1:2. That is, for 30 g of protein, 60 g of sugar is required. By varying the proportions, you can change the density of the meringue. For example, if you need a soft meringue that can be cut with a knife (for example, for a lemon tart), then take the products in a 1: 1 ratio.

It is most convenient to calculate the proportions if you take protein by weight. Weighed the protein and multiplied by two to figure out how much sugar you need (especially handy if you have a large amount of protein in one bowl). But what if there are no scales? Then take the average proportion - 3 tablespoons with a slide for every 1 protein.

Which is better: sugar or powder?

Sugar is best used small, or the so-called confectionery. The grains must dissolve in the protein mass in order to bind the moisture that is in the protein. Too coarse granulated sugar will melt for a long time, as a result, you risk losing valuable air bubbles, over-whipping proteins or the dessert will crunch unpleasantly on your teeth.

Powdered sugar is not recommended. It dissolves very quickly, absorbs moisture and instantly turns into syrup. As a result, the meringues are small and too dense. In addition, store powder contains starch in the composition (it is introduced for friability). Starch changes the structure and taste of the dessert, ready-made meringues dry faster, they come out more rigid and dense, a starchy aftertaste may remain.

Depending on the recipe, the sweetener can be added all during whipping or partially (half is sprinkled while whipping, and the rest is added to fully beaten proteins). In this case, sugar is usually added during whipping, and powdered sugar (with a spatula) is mixed into the already prepared and well-whipped protein mass.

Are salt and acid necessary?

In culinary encyclopedias, you can often find recommendations that when whipping, in addition to sugar, salt and an acidifying agent should be added: vinegar, citric acid, cream of tartar (creme of tartar). Their addition is not mandatory, but it really helps to stabilize the protein, bind water, thereby increasing the viscosity of the solution. It is important not to overdo it here, otherwise, instead of stabilizing, the protein will precipitate. Do not violate the proportions of the recipe, add salt - before whipping, and acid - closer to the end of the process.

What is the best bowl for whipping?

It is best to choose a bowl with a rounded bottom for whipping, preferably made of glass or metal (plastic is worse washed from particles of fat). It is advisable to put a damp towel under the bottom so that the bowl does not slip and is better fixed.

Dishes must be free of grease. You can pour boiling water over or wipe with a slice of fresh lemon. Be sure to wipe the bowl, mixer bowl, and beaters dry afterwards.

Consistency - to what stage to beat?

“Soft”, “medium” and “hard” peaks are the degrees of overrun of proteins that are constantly found in recipe descriptions. Each of these steps is suitable for a particular application. The first is for soufflé, the second is suitable for creams and dough, the third is for decorating, working with a bag and all kinds of nozzles.

“Soft peaks” - the protein is already whipped, but if the whisk with meringue is lifted up, then the mass will slowly slide down the rods, hang in the form of long tongues. When the bowl is tilted, the egg whites will slowly run down the side of the bowl. This stage is suitable for making soufflé.

"Medium peaks" - the protein mass is confidently held at the base of the corolla, but still falls off at the tip, bends with a soft loop. If you lift the whisk vertically, then the sharp tongues will bend after a few seconds (by visual similarity, the average peaks are often compared to a bird's beak). Whipped mass does not pour out of an inverted bowl. This degree is suitable for the preparation of biscuit cakes and all kinds of creams.

"Hard / hard peaks" - the whipped protein mass is very dense, moist and shiny, firmly rests on the raised whisk, clear peaks are formed, the tongues of which do not fall off, but remain sharp as needles. This degree is ideal for meringues, creams, savoiardi and other desserts that should not expand much when heated, but hold their shape well.

There is no hard and fast rule for how long it takes to beat the meringue to the right consistency. It all depends on the amount of ingredients, temperature and power of the mixer.

Remember that you can not beat the whites in advance. This should be done immediately before you are going to send the meringues to the oven. Over time, the whipped protein mass settles.

It is important not to interrupt the meringue! If the protein mass went lumpy, does not shine, if its surface is not smooth, but grainy, then it is spoiled. Most likely, you killed her, destroyed the protein and she exfoliated. Such meringue “cries” in the oven, water droplets are formed, which are collected under freshly baked products with a viscous syrup.

Main types of meringue: French, Swiss and Italian

For the French one, they simply beat the protein with sugar in a mixer bowl, the Swiss one is heated in a water bath to 50-75 ° C, and the sugar syrup boiled to 120 ° C is added to the Italian one. French meringue is ideal for making meringues, as well as for glazing, that is, for covering Easter cakes and baking with a beautiful snow-white hat. Italian meringue is most often added to creams, used to top lemon pie. Swiss is introduced into buttercream or decorated with cakes. Let's take a closer look.

french meringue

French meringue is the basic, classic, simplest and most unpretentious type of meringue. Proteins, along with sugar, are whipped to firm peaks, and then used to bake any kind of meringue for everyone - airy mini-cakes or large crispy cake layers. French meringue is also often taken as a basis for biscuits, added to creams, glazed cakes and gingerbread. But it is not suitable for making creams, as it remains raw, because eggs do not undergo heat treatment.

Proportions. There are only two ingredients - sugar and protein, heated to room temperature. As a rule, granulated sugar is taken twice as much as the weight of the available proteins. Due to the high sugar content, the French meringue is quite stable, it does not blur and keeps its shape well. But the whipped protein mass quickly settles, so it should be dried immediately in the oven, without delay.

Ingredients (example)

• egg whites - 4 pcs. (130 g)
• sugar - 260 g
• salt - a pinch (optional)
• citric acid - a pinch (optional)
• additives are an option.

Technology:

Well baked and dried in the oven, the meringue turns out to be delicate and airy, it literally melts in your mouth. This French meringue is the perfect accompaniment to tea.

Italian meringue

Italian meringue is the most stable variety of meringue. It is proteins whipped to a state of dense foam and brewed with a very hot syrup. Due to the fact that the proteins are poured with sugar syrup, the temperature of which reaches 120 degrees, the mass instantly becomes stable and dense. It is an ideal base for cream, mousse or soufflé (like "Bird's milk"). It is often used to decorate pies and cakes.

Thanks to brewing with hot syrup, Italian meringue is considered safe, it is already ready for use, that is, it can not be subjected to further heat treatment, but can be used immediately. As a rule, Italian meringue is not dried to a meringue state, but only lightly browned, caramelized for beauty under a grill or a cooking burner.

Proportions. Italian, like all other types of meringue, can be soft or hard - it all depends on the amount of added sugar. As a rule, for each part of proteins (100%), 2 parts of granulated sugar (200%) and 0.5 parts of liquid (50%) are taken. For example, for 1 protein weighing 30 grams, you need 60 grams of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water.

Technology:

1. Pour water into a saucepan, add all the sugar according to the recipe and put on moderate heat.
2. While the syrup is warming up, in parallel, start whipping the whites (they should be warmed up to room temperature) at medium speed of the mixer. The mass should become cloudy and go with a hat. After a couple of minutes, increase the speed and beat until it turns into a dense foam.
3. The syrup should reach 116-121 degrees - measure the temperature with a cooking thermometer (make sure that the probe does not come into contact with the bottom of the saucepan).
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the resulting syrup in a thin stream into the bowl with the proteins, without turning off the mixer. Try to pour in such a way that it does not fall on the wall of the bowl (stick) and does not touch the whisk rods (splashes).
5. Once all the syrup has been poured in, turn up the speed and continue beating the meringue until "hard peaks" form. The mass should become very dense and shiny, reach room temperature. It can be tinted, flavored, citrus juice, cocoa powder, etc.

Use meringue as a base for cream, soufflé, mousse, as a filling or coating for cakes and pastries.

Important!

For Italian meringue, it is very important to synchronize the moment when the whites are whipped into a strong foam and the syrup is boiled until tender. If you notice that the syrup began to thicken quickly, and you still have not whipped the whites to the desired degree, then remove the syrup from the stove. Beat the protein mass, then return the saucepan with the syrup back to the fire, reheat and finally brew the meringue.

What to do if there is no thermometer?

The syrup for making Italian meringue must be boiled down, water must evaporate from it. If it is not cooked to 116-120 degrees, then the meringue will be loose and will quickly become damp during storage. And if the syrup is digested, then there is a risk that the sugar caramelizes, as a result, the meringue may not whip at all or go bumpy (caramel balls form inside).

If you have a culinary thermometer, then there will be no problems. But what if it's not there? Then you have to work the old fashioned way - to do a test for a "soft ball". As soon as you see that the sugar in the syrup has dissolved, stop stirring it and wait until the bubbles on the surface become small. Drop some syrup into a bowl of cold water and try to roll it into a soft ball. Or dip your index finger in ice water, then quickly drip hot syrup onto the pad. If it does not flow from the finger and does not blur, but is dense and at the same time soft to the touch, then the temperature of the syrup is in the range of 116-120 degrees.

Swiss meringue

Proteins should be warmed up in a water bath with sugar, and then beat to peaks. The resulting mass is denser in consistency than French, but it is less stable compared to Italian. In a water bath, the sweet protein mass is pasteurized, so the Swiss meringue does not require strict heat treatment. It can be used immediately for decoration or for layering cakes. Often it is caramelized, placed under the grill for a few minutes, or treated with a burner for beauty.

Proportions. Typically, a 1:1 ratio of protein to sugar is used to coat desserts. For creams, the proportions of sugar can be increased.

Technology:

1. Place the egg whites and granulated sugar in a mixer bowl or in another heat-resistant (!) dish. Stir without whisking.
2. Pour water into a saucepan or saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Place a bowl of egg whites on top of the water bath. It is important that the water does not touch the bottom of the mixer bowl. The boil should be weak.
4. Beat egg whites on speed 1 until sugar dissolves. Proteins should be heated to a temperature of 45-50 degrees. You can do without a special thermometer. To do this, simply rub the mass between your fingers - the sugar grains should melt.
5. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove the bowl from the bath. Set in a bowl of cold water (to stop the brewing process of the protein).
6. And then beat at full strength until the proteins are completely cooled - as a rule, the process is quick and will take several minutes.

The Swiss meringue should be white, moist and shiny. It is suitable for decorating cakes, for creams and mousses. It can be dried in the oven in the same way as French, you get airy cakes and cakes.

How long to bake meringues?

The standard temperature for drying meringues in the oven is 100 degrees. You can lower the temperature to 60-70 degrees if your oven heats up too much and the meringue turns yellow. Or vice versa, you can increase the temperature if you want a more golden meringue with a hard crust and a soft center.

Basic baking modes:

1) fully baked, ruddy and crumbly meringue - bake at 100 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 50-60 degrees or continue baking with the oven door slightly ajar for 1-2 hours;

2) snow-white, dense meringue - bake from the very beginning at 50-60 degrees for several hours.

In general, you need to select the temperature and baking time based on the size of the meringue, the characteristics of the oven and the specific recipe. Special types of meringues, for example, the Pavlova dessert, are baked at a temperature of 160 to 200 degrees.

Storage

The more granulated sugar is used in the recipe, the denser the meringue will be and the better it will eventually store. In any case, finished products are sensitive to humid environments. Therefore, it is best to store in tightly closed containers and try not to use meringue for a layer of cream with a high liquid content. If during storage the meringues are still limp, then they can be dried again in the oven, with the door ajar.

Common mistakes

1. The meringues have shrunk or shriveled after baking.

You may have added sugar to the protein mass too quickly. Next time use smaller portions and beat more thoroughly. Also, the reason may be that you took the baking sheet out of the oven too early, they did not have time to dry completely.

2. Meringues did not rise in the oven, but spread on a baking sheet.

The egg whites weren't beaten hard enough. You may have a low power mixer. Try beating longer and add acid - it will make the meringues more stable.

3. When baking, droplets of syrup stood out on the surface of the meringue.

The proportions of sugar and proteins are violated. Weigh and measure sugar more carefully. Perhaps the sugar was of poor quality, too coarse and did not dissolve when whipped. Try changing the sugar or grind it in a mortar to a fine fraction. Also, the cause may be increased humidity in the room, try not to bake in rainy weather.

What to do if the meringue is overwhelmed?

The reason may be that the power of the mixer is too high. In this case, stop it until the meringue reaches the peaks you need, and continue to work with the whisk by hand.

If the protein mass is still curdled, then you can try to save the situation. Take one extra protein, beat it in a separate bowl, as usual. When the turn comes to add sugar, then instead of it, gradually introduce the spoiled meringue 1-2 tablespoons. Once all the protein has reached a smooth fluffy consistency, sprinkle in a thin stream of the sugar required for the added one protein.

Results

Types of meringues differ among themselves in the technique of preparation and stability. Their basic composition is always the same - sugar and protein (sometimes acid, dyes, nuts, etc. are added), but the proportions may vary depending on the desired result and further use.

If we talk about the safety of the final product, then in the first place is Italian (filled with syrup), in the second - Swiss (treatment in a water bath) and in the last - French (raw proteins).

For drying meringues in the oven, French meringue is best suited, it is crispy and literally melts in your mouth. Italian and Swiss are ideal for layering cakes and decor, they keep their shape perfectly and do not require mandatory heat treatment.

Meringue for many, since childhood, is one of the most favorite cakes. Due to its airy structure and unique taste, meringue has become widespread in many countries.

Meringue can be prepared in different sizes, shapes and even colors.

Meringue desserts can be served as an independent dish and as part of the decor for other pastries and cakes.

Meringue cakes can be prepared with various fruit, chocolate and cream fillings.

Secrets of cooking meringue at home

In order for you to surely succeed in cooking meringue, you need to know a few tricky secrets.

1. The meringue utensils must be absolutely clean and dry.. To do this, the bowl in which you are going to beat the proteins should be washed well using baking soda, then the container should be wiped with a paper towel and dried.

2. Utensils for cooking meringue should be cold. Dishes, before cooking meringue, put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. To prepare meringue, it is better to choose dishes made of glass, copper or stainless steel. Avoid using plastic bowls as they can absorb grease.

3. Proteins should be at room temperature. There is a myth that in order for proteins to whip well, they need to be cooled, but this is not true. Indeed, in order for the protein to separate more easily from the yolk, the eggs should be cold, but for whipping, room temperature proteins are needed. A few more words about eggs: they should be 4-5 days old, as such eggs beat better than fresh ones.

4. Carefully separate the whites from the yolks. If at least one drop of the yolk gets into the proteins, the meringue will not work. Separate the proteins one by one into a cup, and then pour them into a common dish. This must be done so that when the yolk gets in, it does not spoil the entire protein mass.

5. Sugar should dissolve with a density. At the end of whipping, take a small drop of whipped protein and rub between your fingers, sugar crystals should not be felt and the protein mass should be absolutely smooth. If you feel sugar, then you should continue beating until it is completely dissolved.

6. Lemon juice, salt or citric acid usually added to meringue for better whipping of proteins. Just half a gram of salt and citric acid or 3 drops of lemon juice is needed to improve the texture of the meringue.

7. Do not hurry. One of the most common meringue making mistakes is adding too much sugar too soon. Sugar should be added when the protein mass has increased in size by 6-8 times and reaches the consistency of soft peaks. Pour in sugar gradually in small portions of about 1-2 teaspoons.

8. Meringue should not be baked, but dried. Another common mistake when cooking meringues is the high temperature in the oven. The oven temperature should be no more than 110 ⁰С. If your oven does not allow you to set this temperature, then you can slightly open the door by 5-10 cm.

9. Meringue loves good weather. When the weather is rainy or damp outside, meringues may not work if the room is too humid.

Now that you know all the secrets of making meringue, you can start making it.

Recipes for making meringue at home

Basic meringue recipe

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

160-170g sugar

a pinch of salt.

How to make classic meringue

1. Turn on the oven and preheat it to 100⁰C.

2. Prepare the baking dish in advance. Line it with parchment. To make the baking paper fit well, grease it on the back with vegetable oil. The oil in this case acts as a glue, the paper will be well pressed against the baking sheet and not clogged.

If you are afraid that the meringue will stick to the surface, then you can also grease the top of the parchment with a few drops of oil.

If you do not have parchment for baking, you can replace it with a simple white A4 landscape sheet, only it needs to be well soaked in vegetable oil.

3. Wash and dry the egg white bowl. Eggs must also be clean.

4. Separate the whites from the yolks and let them stand and warm to room temperature. Sift the powdered sugar.

5. When the proteins have reached the desired temperature, add a pinch of salt to them and start beating. First, beat at low speed until the protein mass is white and thick, that is, until the state of soft peaks.

6. When the proteins become the desired structure, the mixer speed must be increased and start adding sugar a little bit. The main thing here is not to rush and at the first stage add sugar in small portions, waiting until the previous dose is completely dissolved. At the end, when the mass has already acquired a sufficiently thick consistency, sugar can be added in large quantities.

7. The finished meringue should stick to the whisk and not fall off. Another way to check if the meringue is ready is to turn the bowl upside down and if the protein mass does not fall out and does not flow out, then the meringue is cooked correctly.

8. Now we transfer the whipped squirrels with powdered sugar into a pastry bag and place the future meringues. The shape of the meringue depends on the nozzle on the pastry bag and your imagination. But if you do not have a pastry bag, you can lay out the meringue with a regular spoon.

9. We put the meringue in preheated to 100 ⁰ From the oven. Some ovens, especially new ones, allow you to set the minimum temperature to 150 ° C. If this is your case, then open the oven door 5-10 cm and bake the meringue like this.

Drying time for meringues depends on the size and height of the cakes. On average, baking a meringue with a diameter of 5 cm and a height of 2 cm will take 1 hour. If you have small bezes, then the cooking time can be 30-40 minutes.

10. At the end of baking, turn off the oven and leave the finished meringue in it until it cools completely. Therefore, meringue is also called the “forgotten cake”.

Based on this basic recipe, you can improvise and add cocoa, chocolate chips, dry instant coffee, vanillin, any chopped nuts, coconut flakes, etc. to the meringue.

Note:

For those who monitor their diet, I think it will be useful to know the energy value and nutrient balance of meringue.

Here are some more interesting meringue recipes.

chocolate meringue recipe

Ingredients

4 large egg whites, room temperature

½ cup sugar

½ cup powdered sugar + 2 teaspoons for sprinkling

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder + 2 teaspoons for dusting

How to make chocolate meringues

1. Preheat the oven to a temperature of 100 - 110⁰С. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

2. Place the whites in a clean, dry bowl and beat them at medium speed of the mixer until a frothy thick structure forms.

3. Then start gradually adding sugar and beat already at a higher speed. At the end of beating, add the sifted icing sugar. Continue beating until the egg whites are thick and hold their shape well.

4. When the proteins have reached the desired consistency, stop beating and add the sifted cocoa powder. Working from the bottom up, gently fold the cocoa into the protein mixture using a silicone spatula.

5. Transfer the finished mass for chocolate meringue to a pastry bag and deposit cakes with a diameter of about 5 cm on a previously prepared sheet of baking paper.

6. Bake the chocolate meringues for an hour until they are firm and dry. At the end of baking, turn off the oven and leave the cakes in it for another 15 minutes.

7. Sprinkle the finished meringues with a mixture of cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

Lemon meringue roll

Ingredients:

For filling:

15 g gelatin

1 tablespoon water

150 ml dry white wine

3 egg yolks

100 g sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

250 g butter.

for meringue

3 egg whites

175 g powdered sugar + 30 g for sprinkling

1 tablespoon cornstarch.

How to make Lemon Meringue Roll

1. For the filling: Soak the gelatine in cold water for 10 minutes. Pour wine into gelatin, put in a water bath and heat over low heat until completely dissolved.

2. Beat together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns white, then add the lemon juice and zest.

3. Combine egg mixture with softened butter and beat well.

4. With continuous whipping, pour the slightly cooled gelatin into the resulting oil mixture in a thin stream. Put the finished cream in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

5. Preheat the oven to 160 ° C and prepare a rectangular baking dish measuring approximately 35 * 25 cm.

6. Beat the egg whites with the powdered sugar as you would for a classic meringue. At the end of whipping, add cornstarch and mix everything gently.

7. Pour the meringue mixture into a parchment-lined baking dish and bake for 10-15 minutes. Bake the protein mass only until it hardens around the edges.

8. Take another sheet of parchment for baking, sprinkle with powdered sugar, put it on a towel. Remove the meringue from the oven and invert onto the prepared paper. Let cool 10-15 minutes.

9. Lubricate the meringue with chilled cream and wrap the roll using a towel, gradually removing the paper.

10. Refrigerate the finished meringue roll for 1 hour before serving.

hazelnut meringue recipe

Ingredients:

60 g hazelnuts (you can use any nuts)

2 egg whites

120 g sugar

a pinch of salt.

How to make walnut meringues

1. Roast the nuts in a pan and chop with a blender.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare the baking dish.

3. Prepare the meringue as described in the classic recipe above.

4. When the whipped whites have reached the desired consistency, add the nuts and mix gently using a silicone or wooden spatula.

5. Put the whipped whites on the prepared form, using a tablespoon.

6. Bake the hazelnut meringue for about 20 minutes until cracked on top.

7. Leave the finished cakes in the oven until completely dry.

peach meringue recipe

Ingredients:

For meringue:

2 egg whites

120 g powdered sugar

a pinch of citric acid

1 tablespoon peach jam (see recipe below)

For peach jam:

1/3 ripe peach or 5-6 slices frozen

2 tablespoons of water

¼ teaspoon vanilla

How to cook peach meringue

1. First of all, heat the oven to 150⁰С.

2. Remove the whites from the yolks and let them warm up to room temperature.

3. In the meantime, start preparing peach jam. Finely chop the peaches, put them in a saucepan and add water. Boil the peaches, stirring constantly. When they become soft, add sugar. Keep the peaches on fire until the sugar is completely dissolved. Grind the finished confiture in a blender.

4. Put the finished peach confiture on a plate for cooling.

5. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then add sugar in batches.

6. Beat egg whites with sugar until stiff peaks form, then gently fold in 1 tablespoon peach jam in small batches.

7. Spread the protein-peach mass on a baking sheet using a teaspoon.

8. Put the peach meringues in the oven and turn it off. Leave the meringue in the oven until it cools completely.

What is meringue photo examples

Meringue can be prepared in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Meringue can be decorated with chocolate: just pour melted chocolate on top or dip the bottom or top of the cake into it.

You can also sprinkle the finished meringue with cocoa powder. Garnish with edible colored balls or sprinkles before baking.

Meringue cakes can be made in any color; for this, just add a little food coloring to whipped proteins with powdered sugar.

A very beautiful meringue is obtained in the form of roses.

In order to make meringue in the form of roses, you will need 2 nozzles: one round, one notched. First, draw circles on a sheet of baking paper. Lay out a circle using a round nozzle, and then, moving in a spiral, draw the shape of a rose.

For children, you can cook meringue on a stick. To do this, dip toothpicks or wooden barbecue skewers into the meringues already planted. So that the sticks do not burn during the baking process, they should be soaked in water in advance.

The second version of the meringue on a stick can be made by gluing 2 ready-made meringues together, for example, with chocolate, and placing a stick between them.

You can prepare meringues with fillings, such as chocolate. To do this, spread the pieces of chocolate on a baking sheet, and place the meringue on top.

Finished meringues can be glued together using buttercream or melted chocolate.

How to cook stuffed meringue

In order to prepare meringue with filling, you need to bake cakes in the form of baskets. Fill a pastry bag with protein mass and pipe the meringue as shown in the photo.
There are many options for how to cook meringue with filling. To do this, you can use various creams, such as whipped cream or buttercream. The main thing is that they are not too liquid. Otherwise, the cream can soften the delicate structure of the meringue. You can decorate meringue with filling with any fruit or berries. Serve such a dessert immediately, as fruits can give juice and the cake will not look presentable.

The classic representative of meringue with filling is Anna Pavlova dessert. The author of this dessert from New Zealand created it after visiting the concert of the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.

Dessert Anna Pavlova is a meringue cake topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Meringue as part of the decor

Modern confectioners often use meringue to decorate and create cakes. To do this, small meringues of various shapes are attached to an edible base in the form of a biscuit with cream.

What to do if the meringue did not work out?

Sometimes, even for experienced chefs, something may not work out. If for some reason it was not possible to whip the meringue, do not be discouraged.

The first option is to pour the resulting protein mass into a form lined with parchment and bake, just like meringue. In this case, you get a meringue cake. Make 2 or 3 of these cakes and brush them with buttercream. You will get a meringue cake.

You can also fix the situation by preparing something like a biscuit. To do this, add flour to the whipped proteins with powdered sugar (the ratio for 3 proteins and 170 g of powdered sugar is 70-80 g of flour) and mix well. Pour the resulting mass into a mold and bake for about 40 minutes at a temperature of 180 ° C. Cut the finished cooled biscuit in half and grease with any cream.

That, perhaps, is all that I wanted to say about the preparation of meringues. I wish you culinary success and bon appetit!

Description

A wonderful dessert with a French name that translates as "kiss" ... Melting on the lips, sweet, tender ... Of course, it's meringue, or meringue! Do you want to learn how to cook it at home? It is not difficult:)

A lot of yolks go into the Easter dough, and the proteins remain “out of work”. Do you also have a lot of egg whites left after cooking apiaries? Now we will find a use for them! And very tasty: we will prepare a real meringue at home! Light, airy, with a crispy thin crust and a tiny middle.

I usually make an omelette or a chiffon biscuit out of the leftover egg whites. But at the same time, I dreamed of learning how to cook homemade meringue for a long time. I even tried to bake cakes for the Kyiv cake once, but due to non-compliance with the temperature regime, it turned out not a white light meringue, but a golden sweet toffee. But the second time I still learned! And I learned all the nuances that I will now share with you so that the meringue succeeds the first time!

The main thing for success: beat the whites correctly - once, and withstand the baking mode - two. I cook in a gas oven, but I think the recipe will work for an electric oven too - just may need to adjust the baking time.

Ingredients:

For 45-50 pieces:

• 3 egg whites (total weight about 100 g);
• 150 g of sugar;
• A pinch of salt;
• A pinch of citric acid.

Instruction:

Meringue Secret #1 - Fresh Eggs!

The first thing we need is fresh eggs. The very freshest! Because it is the freshest proteins that whip better: they are denser, more elastic, and the foam from them keeps its shape well. And from old proteins, the foam is not so stable. How do you know if an egg is fresh? Gently break it on a saucer and look: the old squirrel spreads; in fresh - lie around the yolk with an elastic oval.

I used to pour from one half of the shell to the other - the protein poured down into the bowl, and the yolk remained in the shell. But this method is not the best, because sometimes the sharp edge of the shell can damage the yolk, and if it gets even a little into the proteins, they will not whip properly. Therefore, it is much more convenient to pour the egg into your hand: the yolk remains whole in the palm of your hand, and the protein is poured through your fingers into a bowl.

And yet, break each egg over a separate bowl: if you suddenly get stale, you do not need to replace all the proteins.

Now let's figure out how much sugar we need. For 1 protein of an average egg, take 50-60 g of sugar. For 3 proteins - respectively, 150-180 g.

For an excellent meringue, in addition to proteins and sugar, you will need a few more grains of citric acid and a pinch of salt: these additives improve whipping, add foam stability, and the acid slightly brightens.

Please note: the result depends not only on the right products, but also on the condition of the dishes. Both the container in which you beat and the whisks must be clean, dry and not greasy. Therefore, carefully wash them, wipe with a lemon slice and wipe dry. And you can start!

There is an opinion that it is necessary to beat the chilled proteins. This is not entirely true. When chilled, they whip up faster, but when warm - better! From the course of physics, we know that when cold, substances are compressed, and when they are warm, they expand. So, in cold proteins, the bonds between molecules are less extensible, so they cannot accommodate many air bubbles that form foam. They whipped up quickly - and that's it. And then just as quickly they settled down. And although warm proteins need to be whipped a little longer, the molecular bonds in them are more elastic and able to hold much more air, and are more stable. Therefore, we take the proteins out of the refrigerator for half an hour so that they warm up to room temperature.

Add a pinch of salt to the proteins and beat at low speed for 2 minutes. At first, the mass will be translucent, frothy, with bubbles, like in champagne; then it will gradually turn white, thicken - and now a light, but rather thick foam has turned out, on which traces of whisks remain. It's time to slowly add sugar.

But don't thump all at once! Add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, beating constantly. Together with the first spoonful of sugar, add a few crystals of citric acid.

I add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar every 15-10 seconds. It takes 6-7 minutes to introduce all the sugar. Gradually increase the whipping speed from low to medium and then to maximum. After adding all the sugar, beat for another 1.5-2 minutes at high speed. The foam is getting thicker.

Beating is enough when it reaches the condition of "hard peaks": take out the mixer and look at the "snowy peaks" - do they rise proudly and do not bend? Excellent! Control check: turn the bowl over :) A well-whipped mass will not fall out - it won’t even move!

We cover the baking sheet with parchment, grease with butter or vegetable oil - a little bit. We spread the mass in a confectionery bag with a nozzle or simply with a cut off corner and put it on a bezel sheet. You can put it with a spoon dipped in water, but with a nozzle, the cakes turn out to be more beautiful. Place them 3-4 cm apart - in the process, the meringue spreads a little and becomes larger. You can make many small cakes or one large cake layer.

We put the meringue in the oven, heated to 110C, in the middle, and bake. By the way, it’s more correct to call meringue raw protein mass, and in baked form, these are already meringues.

In order for the meringue to turn out as it should - dry and light - a sufficiently low temperature is needed. In fact, it is not baked, but dried. Therefore, the temperature in the oven can vary between 100 - 120C.

The threshold of 120C should not be exceeded, since the sugar in the meringue composition melts from high temperature, forming the very caramel toffee of a golden-amber hue. This meringue stretches and sticks to the teeth like chewing gum :)

So the optimum temperature will be 110C.

At this temperature, the meringue dried in my oven for 2 hours. For different ovens and depending on the size of the bezels, the time can vary from 1.5 to 2 or a little more hours.

First, gently touch: the surface of the finished meringue is not sticky or soft, it is dry and does not leave marks on it. Tap the meringue with your finger: if it is dry enough, you will hear a dull rustling sound. The color changes from white to light beige. You can break one piece and see if the middle is dry or still wet.

We leave the finished meringues in the switched off oven until completely cooled. Then we take it out and lay it on a wire rack. Or on a platter. (19 votes, average: 4.3 out of 5)