- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- Pinch salt
- 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar
Directions
1. Bring your
eggs to room temperature before using them - cold egg whites incorporate less
air than those at room temperature. When you separate the egg whites from the
yolks, separate each egg into a small dish or ramekin rather than straight into
a large bowl. Transfer the whites and yolks to different bowls before. Separating
the remaining eggs. This way, if a yolk breaks into a white, you will not spoil
all four egg whites. Egg whites from 59 g eggs were used for this recipe.
2.
Line 2 large
baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Have all the required utensils on
hand. An electric stand mixer or electric hand beaters with a whisk attachment
or a hand balloon whisk can be used to whisk the egg whites. They will all give
good results but the texture of the meringue mixture will be slightly different
with each.
3.
Place the
egg whites and salt in a large, clean, dry mixing bowl. Make sure your egg
whites, bowl and whisk attachment/s are free of any water, or fat such as
butter, oil or egg yolks, as this will inhibit the egg whites from
incorporating air and producing a good volume. It is best to use a stainless
steel, glass, ceramic or copper bowl for whisking egg whites and not plastic as
traces of fat are difficult to remove from plastic bowls. Use an electric mixer
or electric hand beaters to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
4.
Add the
sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking until just combined. The sugar should be
added gradually but there is no need to whisk well after each addition. If the
sugar is added too slowly, the resulting mixture will be fluffy and not smooth
and will give the final meringues an open texture.
5.
When the
last of the sugar has been, added, continue to whisk for a further 2-3 minutes
or until the mixture is very thick and glossy, all the sugar has dissolved and
a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted. The best way to test if
all the sugar has dissolved is to rub a little of the mixture between your
thumb and forefinger.
6.
If it is
smooth, all the sugar has dissolved. Keep a close eye on the mixture and stop
beating as soon as it reaches this stage. If the mixture is overbeaten, the
meringues will collapse during cooking and beads of sugar will form on their
surface.
7.
Use
teaspoons to spoon the mixture onto the lined trays to form the meringues. As a
guide, each meringue will be about 2 level tablespoon measures of mixture.
8.
Place the
meringues into the oven and reduce the temperature to 90°C. When you place the
meringues in the oven, the initial slightly higher temperature sets their
outsides. The lower temperature then dries the meringues rather than bakes
them. Leave the oven on for 1 1/2 hours or until the meringues are crisp and
sound hollow when tapped on the base. Turn the oven off and allow the meringues
to cool in the oven - this will take 3-4 hours.
9.
The
meringues will have a crisp, light texture and a very pale, even, off-white color.
10.Store the meringues in an airtight container for up to 3
weeks.
Utensils List
- Cutting Board- for each child
- Paring knife (if using fresh garlic)
- Non stick skillet pan
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients List
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- 400g can of tomatoes or pasta
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Fresh basil
- Salt and Pepper
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