It’s amazing how egg whites when whipped with sugar produces a stiff mixture and after 90 minutes of low temperature baking produces meringue. Meringue however has a bad reputation as a notoriously challenging thing to get right. Some meringues turn out chewy, limp and deflated, or cracked. Based on my research, these are the common mistakes to avoid:
Using cold eggs (let eggs come to room temperature)
Using a dirty mixing bowl and/or whisk (use vinegar or lemon juice to remove any trace of grease)
Adding sugar to the egg whites too early (whisk egg whites at high speed till you see soft peaks, add a little sugar at a time)
Skipping a binding agent such as salt, flour, corn starch, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon juice, or gelatin
Over-beating the egg whites
Adding flavors to the mixture that have an oil base
Opening the oven door during the bake
Not leaving the meringue to cool inside the oven (sudden temperature changes cause the meringue to crack)
If you avoid any of the above pitfalls, what you’ll get is a light, airy, sweet treat with a crispy exterior and very slightly soft chewy interior.
You can eat these treats plain like a meringue cookie, or dress it up as a mini Pavlova. I added strawberry purée to my whipped cream for a pretty pink effect.
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