Can you believe this mountain of meringues was made from just four egg whites? They were leftover from Pete’s pasticcio and I was loathe to waste them. I’ve frozen half of these meringues and left the remainder in the cookie jar for emergency sugar hits.
Meringues are the easiest thing ever – for each egg white, you’ll need 60 grams (2oz) of caster (superfine) sugar and a tiny bit of vanilla. My batch of four whites used 240g caster sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla.
Preheat the oven to 150C (300F). Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff, then gradually (a spoonful at a time) beat in the sugar. Add the vanilla and continue beating, until your mixture is thick and glossy.
Drop dessertspoon dollops of the mixture onto baking trays lined with parchment paper. You should have enough to make a ludicrous number of meringues. Put the trays into the oven, and immediately drop the oven temperature to 110C (230F) or 100C (210F) with fan. Allow the trays to bake until the meringues are light and crisp, about 65 – 75 minutes. This makes a dry, crunchy meringue that will keep well – if you want a more marshmallow centre, you’ll need to bake them for less time on a slightly higher heat. It’s worth playing around with small batches until you’re happy with them (after all, it’s only a couple of egg whites and some sugar).
Once the meringues are cooked, allow them to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar. This will give them a chance to dry out properly, without getting too sticky on the outside. For some reason it’s quite hard to make meringues on a humid day – the end result is often a bit gummy and soft. Enjoy!
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Edit: You can also make swirly meringues – a very girly party favourite!
Next time I make cannelloni and have egg whites to spare I’m definitely making meringues for dessert…now that I have a reliable recipe:)
They keep for ages in an airtight container, Rob. Although maybe not in your house of eaters!
You can also freeze the eggwhites for ages, and pull them out a few hours before you want to use them. I’ve made meringues from defrosted eggwhites before and they were fine. I would have frozen the eggwhites this time as well, but the freezer is full of FLOUR. :)
Celia xx
One day my mum bought some Coles Meringue Nests home for me because she knew that I like meringue. I put some Cookies and Creme ice-cream on top and took a bite. The first thing I thought was EWW! After eating Mrs C’s meringues nothing compares to that. I will never be able to eat anything but Mrs C’s meringues again. :)
Dearheart, I’ll just have to keep you well stocked! :)
Guess what I’m making now…..meringues!!!!!!! and I swirled some pink food colouring into a few. Have a great weekend!
LOL
The meringues are ready……..and AMAZING. Light on the outside and a bit chewy….I’ve snuck one out of the oven…..Needed to know how it tasted fresh out….
Glad you’re enjoying them, Oz! :)
[…] is another fail proof recipe from my favourite kitchen maven. These meringues are a great way to use up egg whites, if you happen to have any lying […]