Basic Meringue

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• a few grains salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. 1

   Beat egg whites until frothy.

2. 2

   Sprinkle salt and cream of tartar over them.

3. 3

   Continue beating and gradually add sugar.

4. 4

   Add flavoring with the last of the sugar.

5. 5

   Shape meringue on a baking sheet covered with unglazed paper.

6. 6

   Bake at 225° to 325°F for 15 minutes to an hour until delicately browned and dry.

Nutrition per serving

As published

This recipe was extracted from Foods, their selection and preparation (1935) by Louise Stanley, page 306. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

3 tablespoons sugar to each egg white. Honey, sirup, or jelly may be used in the proportion of 1 tablespoon per egg white. Meringue for pies already has been discussed in this chapter. Meringue for puddings is the same as for pies; however, it may be cooked differently. On a baked pudding, the meringue may be cooked or set in a slow oven, exactly as for pies. It also may be steamed and transferred to the pudding. For floating island, islands of meringue on top of a soft custard, it may be steamed on top of the custard itself. Or it may be steamed over hot water and trans¬ ferred to any pudding. The second kind of meringue, called "hard meringue,” has a wide variety of uses. It is made with a high proportion of sugar, at least 4 tablespoons to each egg white. It is baked slowly until dry, or rather it is dried in the oven. The large amount of sugar and the long slow baking give crisp crunchy products in contrast to the light fluffy tops on pies and puddings. The third kind of meringue is better known as "cake icing.” It is used also to give a special fluffy texture to certain candies. This kind of meringue is discussed under special texture candies on page 43; and again under cake icings on page 305. The crisp crunchy meringues are dis¬ cussed here. They include certain small cakes used for tea and dessert, called "small meringues,” "kisses,” or "macaroons”; they include also meringue glaces, meringue shells, and tortes for holding ice creams, fruits, and cream or custard fillings. Basic Proportions. Basic proportions for the crisp or hard meringues are these: to each egg white, 5 cup sugar, a few grains salt, and Yg- teaspoon cream of tartar. The salt is needed for flavor and it also increases the volume of the beaten white. Cream of tar¬ tar (acid) increases the stability of the meringue and makes the egg white coagulate more quickly in the oven. (See angel-food cakes on page 107.) Flavoring may be added to meringues, as desired, about 5 teaspoon vanilla or other extract to each egg white. Many additions are used to give variety. Method of Mixing. To give best results, egg whites for any kind of meringue should be at high room temperature before beating — 82° to 86° F. is optimum. The whites are beaten until frothy and the salt and cream of tartar sprinkled over them. The beating is continued and the sugar added gradually during the beating. The flavoring is put in with the last of the sugar. The various addi¬ tions are carefully folded in last. The meringue is shaped with a spoon or pastry bag into the desired size and shape, usually on a baking sheet covered with un- [332] glazed paper. Meringues are baked at from 225° to 325° F. from 15 minutes to an hour or longer until very delicately browned and dry on the surface. (The very low tempera¬ tures require the long baking times.) These differences in temperature and time of baking vary with the size of the meringue and the additions to the essential ingredients. Small Meringues. Small meringues, some¬ times called "meringue kisses" or "mac¬ aroons," are made by dropping the meringue by teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet covered with brown paper. Bake at 275° F. for 15 to 30 minutes. There are many variations of these small meringues. Coconut Kisses. Shredded coconut is added to the basic meringue

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.