Meringues, that very simple dessert made with very few ingredients but incredibly tasty! Yesterday I had some egg whites in the fridge (as I used the yolk for carbonara) and I decided I should try making meringues again (I tried years ago but with poor results and the wrong recipe given by a friend) so I set to work adjusting the things that didn’t work in the previous recipe. Well, what can I say, the meringues are spectacular, good both on their own and for decorating various desserts.
If you love indulgent desserts like this one, then also try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 40
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make meringues
- 3 Egg whites (from large eggs)
- 220 Granulated sugar
- 1 pinch Fine salt
Tools needed to make meringues
- 1 Bowl
- Electric beaters
- Spoon
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Piping bag
- Parchment paper
Preparation of the meringues
Place the egg whites in a bowl with a pinch of salt and start whisking with the electric beaters.
When you see it starting to thicken, slowly add the sugar while continuing to whisk at medium/high speed.
When the mixture is nice and stiff and the whites are beaten to very firm peaks, the meringue is ready. You can test it (if you want to be sure it’s ready) by turning the bowl upside down; it should stay inside without falling, then the meringue is ready!
Put the mixture into a piping bag (I use disposable ones which I find very convenient) and after placing parchment paper on a baking sheet, start making swirls or discs with the meringue until the sheet is filled.
Preheat the oven to 175°F/195°F, when it’s hot, bake the meringues and let them bake (actually more like dry) for 2 hours with the door slightly open (you can help by inserting a wooden spoon), WARNING: 2 hours is an indicative time because not all ovens are the same. In my experience, it takes from 2 hours onwards, sometimes even 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Once the meringues are done, let them cool in the oven with the door open. Once cooled, remove them from the oven, detach them from the parchment paper, and voilà, they will be ready to enjoy!
Useful Notes
Some people add a teaspoon of lemon juice to make the meringues shinier and to remove the egg smell, I personally don’t add it because I like them as they are. You can also use powdered sugar instead of granulated, and I will try that soon as well! They keep well in a tightly sealed freezer bag in a dry place to avoid them getting damp. If they don’t turn out well the first time, don’t get discouraged, it can happen and can depend on many factors including the oven (not all are the same and you need to test yours), the eggs don’t always weigh the same even if they are the same size, try again if they don’t work the first time! I plan to make them again soon because I have many different and alternative versions in mind, so stay tuned for new recipes!
