Basic Brown Sugar Meringue Recipes

EASY BROWN SUGAR MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 F.
• Arrange the oven racks so one is in the upper third and the other is in the bottom third of the oven.
• Put sugars in food processor and process for about 60 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, you can skip this step. It just helps make the sugar a little finer and it will dissolve more quickly. If you can find superfine sugar , use that along with the brown sugar.
• Beat the egg whites on medium speed of electric mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar; continue beating until the egg whites hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in both sugars and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in vanilla extract. The meringue should be very smooth and have no sugar grittiness.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. A tiny dot of meringue under the parchment paper at each corner will keep it from moving while you work.
• Spoon small mounds of meringue on the parchment paper. Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar over each mound. Or pipe the meringue using a decorative star tip, if desired.
• Bake for 1 hour, rotating the baking sheets after 30 minutes. Take a meringue out to test. Break in half; it should be dry in the center. Turn the oven off and leave the door partially open. Leave meringues in the oven for 1 hour longer.

BROWN SUGAR MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until golden and aromatic, about 8 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through baking to make sure the nuts toast evenly. Remove from oven; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Line two 11-by-17-inch baking sheets with parchment; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and sugar. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, 3 minutes.
• Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, whip mixture until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix to combine. Remove bowl from mixer, and fold in the toasted almonds.
• Place 1/3-cup ovals of meringue on prepared baking sheets, about 6 per sheet. Bake 1 hour. Turn off heat; dry meringues in oven overnight. Store between layers of parchment in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 3 days.

ULTIMATE MERINGUE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼.
• Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
• Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
• Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
• Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy.
• Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape. Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer.
• Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
• Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.