Mad for Meringue: 19 Delicious Meringue Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why add vinegar and cornstarch to meringue? ›

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

It can be made with any sugar. One cup of superfine sugar or packed brown sugar is equal to 1 cup of granulated sugar; 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar equals 1 cup granulated. Superfine sugar may dissolve more readily and produce a smoother glossier meringue, but volume will not be as great.

A secret ingredient: corn starch

Corn starch is composed of long molecules that it is believed insert themselves between egg white proteins to prevent them from clotting too much while meringue is baking.

It also adds viscosity to the liquid whites, making the bubbles more stable. Add an Acid: Adding an acid like lemon juice, cream of tartar, or even vinegar raises pH, helping to denature some of the egg protein.

Over whip the egg whites and you risk making them too firm and they will risk losing the moisture that they hold. This will affect your meringue's crispness, as well as making it more likely to collapse or weep beads of sugar. As my meringue guru Gary Mehigan advises: “If you over whip the egg whites you cannot fix it.

Meringue Basics

For plain meringue, whether a single large raft, two 8-inch circles, 1 towering pie's worth, or two dozen smaller cookies, use 6 egg whites, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional, but helps the eggs whip up), and 1 cup powdered sugar.

Use ultrafine Baker's Sugar for meringues and other baked goods – it dissolves faster than regular granulated sugar. Use ultrafine Baker's Sugar to help prevent “weeping” or sogginess. Meringues will weep if there's any undissolved sugar. Don't put granulated sugar in a food processor to achieve a finer grain.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an excellent way to foolproof your meringue. Use it to create added fluff and keep your hard-won volume from shrinking. Cream of Tartar: Often added in when making meringues, acidic cream of tartar provides lift and stabilization.

What does baking soda do to meringue? ›

There is no reason to ever use baking powder or baking soda in meringue. All the air in meringue comes from tiny bubbles whisked into the egg whites. Meringues can be made more stable and lighter by adding a pinch of cream of tartar, a pinch of salt, or a small amount of lemon juice.

Eggs whipped at room temperature will get the same result. We recommend using fresh, cold egg whites for meringues. They make a foam that is easier to work with, and the baked meringues have a more delicate and uniform texture.

The cornflour and vinegar that is added strengthens the egg white and make it more stable and you get the marshmallowy centres from the shorter cooking time.

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

It doesn't have to be perfect, but if there are too many undissolved pieces of sugar, it means it's not fully dissolved into the protein layer of the egg whites. When this happens, your meringues won't come out crisp and they might seep liquid during baking as the sugar melts out of the meringue.

Clean glass: Cornstarch is a wonderful window cleaner! Add a tablespoon each of white vinegar and cornstarch to two cups of water. Funnel into a spray bottle and use on window or door glass. Your windows and glass will be streak-free!

cornstarch/water mixture. If you are making two pies and using 6 or more egg whites, just double up and use 2 tbsp of cornstarch, 4 tbsps cold water and 1 cup boiling water, and follow same method."

If you've noticed that most pavlova recipes add cornflour and something acidic, often vinegar but sometimes lemon juice or cram of tartar, here's why: adding starch and acid creates a more stable foam and helps prevent several potential problems.