Meringuesnowflakes Recipes

GOOD MERINGUE

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture forms stiff peaks.

MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer); beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium high; beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, then add the extract or zest. Continue beating until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
• For colored cookies, swirl a few drops of food coloring into the meringue or use a small paintbrush to paint 3 long stripes of food coloring up the inside of a pastry bag. For chocolate chip versions, gently fold the mini chocolate chips into the mixture.
• Drop or pipe the meringue as desired, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the meringues stand in the oven until dry, about 2 hours. Top with or dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with nonpareils.

MERINGUE SNOWFLAKES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a medium bowl.
• Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.
• Draw six 3-1/2-inch circles on each sheet of paper or foil.
• Set aside.
• FOR MERINGUE:
• Add cream of tartar and salt to egg whites.
• Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks forms (tips curl).
• Gradually add the 1/2 cup superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form ( tips stand straight) and sugar is nearly dissolved.
• Transfer meringue to a decorating bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip.
• Pipe snowflake shapes on top of circles on paper or foil.
• Sprinkle with the decorating sugar.
• Bake all of the meringues at the same time on separate oven racks for 10 minutes.
• Turn off oven; let meringues dry in oven with door closed for 1 hour.
• Lift meringues off paper or foil.
• Transfer to wire racks; cool completely.
• Makes 12 meringue snowflakes.

MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large clean dry bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 more minute. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe eight 3-inch disks on the baking sheets, then pipe around the edge of the disks to create 2-inch-high sides. Bake at 250 degrees F until dry and crisp, about 3 hours. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 1 week.
• For the filling, whisk the mascarpone with the confectioners' sugar, then whisk in the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Spoon into the meringue nests; top with sugar pearls.

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.

FRENCH MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together egg whites and salt on high speed until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar in three additions, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla; gently fold to combine. Sift cocoa over meringue; gently fold so that streaks of cocoa remain.
• Using a 1/2-cup ice cream scoop, drop 6 balls of meringue onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake until puffed and slightly cracked, 30 minutes. Turn off oven and let meringues stand at least 2 hours or up to overnight.