Is it possible to dry meringue at room temperature. Meringue recipe in the oven

French meringue cake (meringue) can be fragile and crumbly, tender and melting in your mouth, soft inside and crispy outside - it is no coincidence that the French called this airy dessert “kiss”, emphasizing its sweetness and sophistication. is a protein cake, and meringue is a protein cream from which meringues are made or which is used as a filling for confectionery. Due to the fact that meringue contains a small amount of ingredients, it seems that it is quite simple to prepare it, but meringue is a capricious dessert that sometimes behaves unpredictably. Not every culinary specialist (especially a beginner) knows how to cook meringues and meringues correctly, so it’s worth learning a few tricks first, thanks to which you will get a real French dessert without flaws.

Cooking meringues at home: the subtleties of French culinary art

Let's talk about how to bake meringue at home, which recipe to choose and how to achieve perfection in the art of making protein dough, which should be airy, foamy, light and at the same time dense, plastic and well-shaped. Knowing the secrets of cooking, you will get beautiful and delicious airy cakes and other desserts from egg whites whipped with sugar baked in the oven.

French, Italian and Swiss way of making meringue

There are three ways to prepare meringue - French, Italian and Swiss. The French prepare the protein mass very simply - beat the proteins with a pinch of salt, gradually adding powdered sugar until it keeps its shape perfectly. Cooked in French, they are tender and airy, but they are only suitable for cakes of a simple form, since graceful and ornate roses can blur and lose their original appearance.

Instead of sugar, Italians add thick and hot sugar syrup to the protein mass, pouring it in a thin stream and not stopping whipping for a second. A soft and tasty cream, which turns out to be a little custard due to hot syrup, is used to spread cakes, stuff tubes and eclairs. The cream mixes easily with butter to infuse new flavors, unlike French meringue, which, in combination with fats, immediately loses its shape.

The most virtuoso meringue is prepared according to the Swiss recipe, since it is made in a water bath - while the mass increases in volume several times. From a thick and elastic mass, fancy cookies and ornate cream patterns on cakes are obtained that do not blur and look very impressive.

The intricacies of making perfect meringue

Utensils and kitchen utensils that you will use to beat egg whites should be perfectly clean and free of grease. The fact is that fat worsens the quality of the protein dough and prevents the shape of the meringue from being preserved, therefore, before cooking, you should pour boiling water over the dishes with the addition of lemon juice.

Many chefs recommend using only very fresh eggs, which is understandable if you are going to make a protein cream, that is, eat proteins without heat treatment. For the preparation of meringues, it is better to take a week-old egg, since the protein in the process of storing the eggs becomes drier and whipped much easier.

For meringue, not chilled, but warm proteins, the temperature of which is 22-25 ° C, are more suitable. Cold proteins whip faster, but the mass is less voluminous, more dense and unstable when baking. Warm proteins give a lush air mass with a stable relief, as a result of which the products rise perfectly in the oven, bake well and keep their shape.

Try to take not sugar, but powdered sugar, because the finer the grains, the better the protein mass is whipped, turning out to be more tender and light, and sugar that has not completely dissolved can creak on the teeth, which is not always pleasant when tasting dessert.

At the very beginning, the speed of whipping proteins should be slow in order to saturate the mass with oxygen, and when foam with bubbles appears, the speed can be set to maximum.

Add sugar gradually - 1 tsp each. at regular intervals. If sugar is added immediately, the meringues will settle after baking. Be patient so that the result meets your expectations!

For a crispy meringue, beat the whites to sharp peaks - when the mass reaches for the whisk, forming angles like a beak. If the protein cream forms round peaks on the whisk that gradually fall off, then you are dealing with soft peaks, ideal for making delicate cakes or biscuits.

In old cookbooks, advice is given to add a pinch of salt to the proteins at the beginning of whipping, and at the end - a few drops of lemon juice to form a lush and voluminous mass. With the advent of modern mixers and blenders, the need to add these products has disappeared, so they can be discarded. If, according to the recipe, flour and starch must be added to the protein mass, sift them to saturate with air so that the dough does not lose airiness.

It is better to bake meringue on confectionery paper at a temperature of 80-110 ° C for 1-2 hours. For this reason, the French jokingly call meringues “forgotten cookies”, just try not to forget about your dessert so that it does not get too dry. Ready-made cakes should be crispy, without a dark crust, and if you prefer more tender and soft meringues, bake them at 150 ° C until light yellow. You can bake the meringue for several minutes at a temperature of 200 ° C, and then reduce the heat to 100 ° C and bake for another half hour.

Do not open the oven while the meringues are baking, otherwise they will fall off and turn into cakes. It is better to check the products for readiness after cooling, since a warm cake inside may seem damp. Do not store meringues in the refrigerator so that they do not get damp!

On the basis of meringue, you can cook a lot of delicious confectionery with the addition of chocolate, marmalade, jelly, coffee, fruits, berries, curd cheeses, milk, whipped cream, nuts and spices. Meringues are poured with chocolate icing, served with ice cream, marshmallows, vanilla, butter or butter cream, they make filling for pancakes and sweet sandwiches, cakes and small petit four cakes. Meringue cakes are like light clouds that melt in your mouth, leaving a delicately sweet aftertaste that you want to experience again and again. Prepare fluffy meringues and enjoy great French desserts!

Everyone seems to know the meaning of this word. Meringue is easy, it is sweet and very tasty. They can decorate cakes, pies, desserts, serve them on their own or just eat them with tea.

To cook delicious and good bezeshki, you definitely need fresh eggs. This is the only option for us. In principle, this option remains relevant when using eggs in any dish.

The first thing to do when buying eggs is shake them. Yes, it may look strange, but in this way you can choose a fresh product for yourself. Don't worry, you won't be the first person to do this when buying. The egg should be silent in response. If you hear a thud, do not buy the product, it is already spoiled or is in the initial stage of spoilage.

When buying eggs in a cardboard box, be sure to check the expiration date. Most often, it is indicated on the packaging correctly. And here, by the way, it is also important to remember that after the expiration date, the eggs can be safely used for a few more days.

The third method for egg freshness is suitable for eggs that have already been bought. Take a deep container of water and dip the eggs one at a time. The higher the eggs are, the sooner they need to be thrown away. If it lies at the bottom, then it may have been demolished just a couple of hours ago.

And one more way, which is also suitable for us and also only for purchased eggs. Here you need to break the eggs and if the yolk is elastic and dense, and the protein is viscous, the product is fresh. If the yolk is flat and the white is spreading, it's time to throw that egg away.

Vanilla meringue in the oven

Cooking time

calories per 100 grams

For lovers of classic sweets, we offer meringue with vanilla. Vanilla can always be called a classic, as it is included in almost all desserts.

How to cook:

Tip: The smaller your meringues are, the faster the oven will dry them out.

How much time - 2 hours and 20 minutes.

What is the calorie content - 269 calories.

How to cook:

1. Pour the whites into a container, start beating them;
2. When a light foam appears, pour in the citrus juice and continue to beat the egg whites;
3. Next, add sugar and now achieve stable peaks;
4. Grind cocoa with a fine grater;
5. Add cocoa foam to the foam, mix until the proteins are uniform in color;
6. Then add chocolate and mix again until smooth;
7. Put the chocolate proteins on a baking sheet covered with paper;
8. Send to the oven for two hours at 90 degrees.

Tip: To make the color of the meringue as uniform as possible, you can add a little brown dye.

This option is more likely for lovers of the exotic. We will add a little shredded coconut to standard peaks so that true nut connoisseurs will immediately fall in love with this recipe.

How much time - 1 hour and 50 minutes.

What is the calorie content - 305 calories.

How to cook:

1. Pour the whites into a container, add salt to them and start beating the mass;
2. When the peaks become sharp and dense, pour in the wine vinegar;
3. Beat the mass again to evenly distribute the vinegar over the proteins;
4. Now add powdered sugar through a sieve, beat the mass again. As a result, it should turn out such that it does not move when the bowl is turned over;
5. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees;
6. Add coconut flakes to the proteins and gently mix the whole mass with a spatula;
7. Lower the oven temperature to 100 degrees;
8. Put the meringue of the desired size and shape on a baking sheet with paper;
9. Put in the oven for ninety minutes.

Tip: if you are afraid that vinegar will lower the proteins, then you need to know that it is he who, like lemon juice, does not allow the proteins to fall. Therefore, it is added to the future meringue.

For real walnut lovers! Add any nuts, thereby experimenting with the taste, color and aroma of light meringues. But you know, this time they can hardly be called easy ...

How much time is 1 hour and 20 minutes.

What is the calorie content - 396 calories.

How to cook:

1. Pour peanuts into a dry frying pan, brown it;
2. Pour the whites into a bowl, add powdered sugar and vanilla sugar to them;
3. Beat the mass to stable peaks with a mixer;
4. Throw honey into an empty pan, melt it;
5. Pour oatmeal to it and roll them in honey;
6. Let them caramelize, then pour into a bowl or plate to cool;
7. Chop the chocolate with a knife into small pieces;
8. Add it to the proteins, gently mix with a spoon;
9. Peanuts have already cooled down, you can chop them with a knife into more or less large pieces;
10. Add to the proteins and nuts, gently combine again;
11. It is better to immediately take the seeds peeled, pour into the pan;
12. Brown them and let cool. When hot, they cannot be added to proteins;
13. Give the cooled seeds to nuts, proteins and chocolate, mix with a spatula;
14. Send oatmeal for seeds;
15. Cover the baking dish with paper or lightly grease with oil;
16. Lay out the protein slides with a tablespoon. Of course, you can use a bag, but in this case without a nozzle. Here you have to make a big hole;
17. Turn on the oven at 160 Celsius and send a baking sheet into it;
18. Bake until cooked (dry and hard crust).

For those who are not in a hurry or who do not have time. You will only have to work with the oven for an hour, then wait all night and in the morning you will have a delicious and unusual breakfast waiting for you.

How much time - 1 hour and 15 minutes + night.

What is the calorie content - 298 calories.

How to cook:

1. Put the powder through a sieve, mix it with sugar;
2. Preheat the oven to 120 Celsius;
3. Pour the proteins into a container, add half of the sugar mixture to them;
4. Beat the mass until light foam and then add the rest of the sugar;
5. Bring proteins to stable peaks;
6. Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper, put the meringue on the paper with a spoon or through the nozzle;
7. Remove the baking sheet in the oven for one hour;
8. Then turn off the oven, but take out the meringue only the next morning.

Tip: to get colored beringes, divide the proteins into several parts and add a drop of dye. Bright pleasure will be waiting for you the next morning!

Cranberry meringue in the oven

It is rare that anyone makes meringue with the addition of any fruits or berries, and especially in a fresh version. But we decided to take a chance and believe it or not, we were more than just satisfied.

How much time - 2 hours.

What is the calorie content - 209 calories.

How to cook:

1. Turn on the oven at 110 degrees and let it warm up;
2. Wash the cranberries well, leave in a colander so that all the water is glassed;
3. Then move to a dry towel or napkins to remove absolutely all moisture;
4. Pour the whites into a container, add sugar and vanilla to them, beat them until stable peaks;
5. Add dry berries, mix gently;
6. Put a sheet of paper on a baking sheet, put the meringue with a spoon;
7. Put in the oven and bake and hard crust;
8. Then turn off the oven and do not touch the meringue until it cools completely.

Tip: it is better to leave the berries whole, otherwise they will flow, and the juice will ruin all the bezes.

For the preparation of meringue, it is very important to use not only fresh, but also very preferably chilled eggs. Yolks, by the way, beat better if they are warm (meaning room temperature), but proteins, on the contrary, need cold.

It is also very desirable to use a container that can be cooled. For example, a bowl made of aluminum, iron, metal. At least half an hour before the start of meringue preparation, the bowl / other container must be placed in the freezer.

The same goes for the whisk or mixer. In the case of an electrical appliance option, of course, you don’t need to put the equipment in the freezer, a whisk is enough. By the way, it can also be rubbed with lemon juice before whipping so as not to add it to the proteins themselves. This also applies to vinegar.

Proteins should turn into a dense foam with stable peaks. This means that if you turn the bowl upside down, the egg whites will remain still. Scary? Beat it so that there is no such thought!

Meringue is a sweet snack, if you can call it that, which costs nothing to cook. Ten minutes of your time is worth it! The rest is drying in the oven. It is delicious!

There are a few simple rules in cooking meringue, if you follow them, you can get a delicious and airy dessert. But if you break it - you don't know what will happen. For example, if you set the temperature too high during baking, the products will chew like chewing gum or stick to your teeth. There are a few other important points to consider. But first of all, this is the baking temperature of the meringue.

The sweetness being studied has a reputation for being a difficult dessert, but in fact, as long as you follow a few generally accepted rules, everything is easy. Egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks, are the base of the dessert, plus sugar. Then things get surprisingly complicated for a dish containing only two ingredients.

Eggs and their choice

First of all, you need to make sure they are fresh. Break one thing: if the protein spreads in a puddle - the egg is stale, it is not good. But if the protein lies elastically around the yolk, it means fresh, perfect for making meringues. The baking temperature is of paramount importance, but the freshness of the raw materials is also important.

A little secret - if the eggs are chilled, then the protein will be easier to separate and beat faster.

Proteins: how to separate?

Very carefully and carefully separate the whites from the yolks. Why? Yes, because if even quite a bit of yolk gets into the protein mass, then it simply will not whip. Therefore, for each new egg, it is better to use a separate bowl, so that in which case it is simple and easy to replace the protein with the yolk that has fallen into it with another.

Dishes

The container that was prepared for whipping the proteins should be dry and clean (as well as the mixer nozzles). Even a drop of fat or water will prevent whipping egg whites into foam. For reliability, you can wipe the dishes with lemon juice, and then with a paper towel.

Sugar

It is better to use sugar with small crystals or powdered sugar. For 1 protein we take 50 grams of sugar. Proportion is important to keep!

What's the best way to beat?

It's easier to do this with a mixer. First, small turns are taken, then gradually added to the maximum. When a characteristic mark remains on the shoulder from the whipped proteins, add a little sugar (a teaspoon each) so that the meringue does not fall off after baking. Continue beating (about 8-12 minutes) until stiff peaks form. The mass should become dense and lush. In order not to lose volume, you can add a little lemon juice at the end (one teaspoon for 2 proteins).

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Stabilizers

As noted above, one of the golden rules for making meringues is that all of your equipment must be thoroughly cleaned, without a speck of grease, or the cooking process will be much more difficult. Before you start, it's best to rub the mixer bowl with half a lemon to get rid of the last bits of fat before whipping the egg whites.

There are other tricks that a skilled chef can use to increase the chances of getting a bouncy foam. The most common is to add a small amount of an acid, such as vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid, to the mixture after the sugar has been added. According to some experts, it also helps make the dessert crispy on the outside and soft and sticky on the inside.

What is the best recipe to use?

You can make two different versions of the meringue. The temperature and baking time in them will differ, although the set of ingredients will be the same. Both recipes include the whites of 3 large eggs beaten to stiff peaks with a mixer (unless you're a unique pastry chef, don't try hand whipping the meringue), and 200 grams of powdered sugar, added spoonful during the mixing process. In addition, you will need to introduce a little citric acid. After that, the mixture is laid out with a spoon on a baking sheet and placed in the oven. The meringue baking temperature in the first case will be 100 ° C, and the time will be up to one and a half hours to get a crisp. This version, according to reviews, has a slightly stiffer texture, and when cooked, the dessert becomes evenly crispy.

The second version is done a little differently. The temperature for baking meringue at home will be slightly lower, and the cooking time will be longer. This is detailed below.

Sugar: what should it be?

Powdered sugar is a common option for meringues—the fine grains dissolve easily into the foamy mixture. However, some pastry chefs are not afraid to experiment, using half regular granulated sugar and half powdered sugar in a recipe. This can lead to interesting results.

Meringue prepared according to this recipe is delicious, but too sweet. This technology is good to use for the Australian Pavlova recipe, but not as a separate delicacy. Therefore, it is better to introduce only powdered sugar, which gives a slightly caramelized taste and a wonderful golden color.

Whipping technique in detail

Most recipes only call for the addition of powdered sugar after the egg whites have been beaten to soft peaks. If you put it in too early, you won't get a good strong lather.

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One professional recipe calls for powdered sugar to be heated to 100°C and then added to lightly beaten eggs that are “just beginning to foam.” Then everything is whipped at maximum speed for ten minutes, until the mixture cools down and retains its shape.

You will need some experience to master this technique. The result is a dessert that looks like a mixture of French and Italian meringue - the sugar continues to caramelize and can thus solidify in the mixer bowl. However, by being able to choose the right speed, you can learn to avoid it.

Freshly whipped blanks on a baking sheet look great: lush and tall. The baking temperature of the meringue will be about a hundred degrees. When you take them out of the oven, you will be pleasantly surprised by the unusual orange tint of the dessert. Meringue has a pleasant taste, it is easier to form than according to the traditional recipe, but the color is completely unusual.

Temperature regime

At what temperature should meringues be baked? Experts say that too much heating can cause not only the burning of products from above, but also the destruction of their consistency.

Jamming the oven door with a rolled-up tea towel or wooden spoon to keep it from overheating seems to be one of the best solutions. This is inconvenient, but such a measure can help maintain the correct baking temperature for meringues.

How to bake?

As noted above, there are two options for preparing this airy dessert. At what temperature and how long do meringues need to be baked for each of them?

In the first case, set the temperature in the oven to 100 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and gently place beaten egg whites on it. You can use a pastry bag or a regular spoon. We do not open the oven for the first hour - it is necessary that the meringues dry well. If you open it, the temperature difference may cause the cakes to crack.

Dessert preparation time takes from 1 to 2 hours and depends on their size. The smaller they are, the faster they cook. The readiness of the product can be checked by tapping it with your finger. The finished meringue will make a dull rustling sound and will easily separate from the parchment.

Proponents of the second method argue that the temperature of 100 degrees is too high. You must place the products in an oven heated to 60-70 degrees and bake them for a longer time. In this case, you are not so much baking the dessert as drying it by evaporating the water and leaving only the hard structure of the egg and sugar mixture and the air bubbles between them. Such a selection of temperature conditions when baking meringues requires them to be cooked for six hours. However, the result will pleasantly surprise you.

Meringue is an original dessert, which is prepared by whipping egg whites with sugar until a dense airy mass is formed. This mass is laid out in small portions in the form of a pyramid or cake and baked to a dense surface and a tender, slightly viscous middle. The composition of homemade meringue in the oven is simple: sugar and egg whites. The meringue recipe in the oven is sometimes supplemented with nut flour, starch, but these additions are not so significant. However, don't let the small list of ingredients discourage you, making meringue is not that easy. Carefully study the theory of the question, and you will definitely succeed. An important culinary trick for preparing the right meringue at home in the oven is the exact method of whipping the proteins. The meringue recipe at home in the oven also involves their proper baking. This process requires patience from the chef, because. meringue is considered ready when the oven has completely cooled down. You can cook meringue in an electric oven in the evening, then for breakfast you will get a wonderful dessert, and the right degree of moisture, slightly crispy, which is typical for an ideal protein meringue. These are the main nuances of cooking meringues in the oven. The photos of the dessert presented on the site clearly demonstrate its attractive white color and beautiful shapes. Use the recipe with a photo in the oven to make meringue. Moreover, this is a delicate matter, do not rush to master complex recipes at once, which are also enough. Meringue, a classic oven recipe, will also be a real serious test of your culinary skills.

How to cook meringue in the oven at home? Here are some tips from experienced chefs:

The meringue oven must be preheated to 150 ° C, then a baking sheet with meringue is placed there, you can immediately turn off the oven and wait for it to cool completely;

In another way, you can bake the meringue for about an hour and a half at a temperature of 100 - 120 ° C;

To prepare meringue, use only clean and dry dishes, water is unacceptable in any form. It is not even recommended to engage in meringue in wet weather;

Additionally, it is advisable to degrease the dishes well by wiping them with a napkin soaked in vodka;

Some chefs advise wiping the walls of the bowl for whipping the protein mass with a piece of lemon, then the proteins will turn out to be especially lush and steep;

Strictly observe the temperature regime specified in the recipe, remember that the meringue is not baked, it is dried in a cooling oven;

If your oven has a convection function, use it to completely remove moisture;

Only the freshest squirrels can qualitatively hold air in themselves and give a dense and airy mass;

Sugar should be ground into powder, so you will beat the mass much faster, and the grains will not fall on your teeth.

To fully comply with the French meringue recipe, you must follow 12 simple steps, since any seemingly trifle can ruin everything. After that, your meringue will look great and taste great.

1. We process all the dishes with a napkin moistened with a small amount of vinegar and let the smell of vinegar disappear. You can't add vinegar to meringue.
2. We set the electric oven to a temperature of 150 ° with a heating mode from below and from above, without a fan and grill. If the oven is gas, then a temperature of 180 ° and a door ajar by 1.5 cm will do.
3. 15 minutes before the start of whipping the meringue, separate the proteins and let them stand at room temperature.
4. Add a pinch of salt to the proteins and start beating them at low speed.
5. After obtaining a lush homogeneous foam, pour sugar (powdered sugar) in a thin stream, whisking constantly. We try to mix sugar well with proteins and do not allow it to settle at the bottom of the container.
6. In the resulting protein mass, we also introduce vanilla sugar and citric acid (ascorbic acid) in a thin stream.
7. Now we beat everything at the highest possible speed until the mass becomes elastic, thick, white, and most importantly, when raising the beaters, not blurry, sharp peaks should form.
8. We spread the meringue on a baking sheet with a regular spoon or silicone spatula. Favorite roses are more convenient to make with a pastry syringe. The distance between the bezels should be at least half of their diameter, since in the process of drying they almost double in size.
9. You need to put the meringue on the middle level of the oven, which just had to warm up well.
10. We bake the meringue at the indicated temperature for 5-7 minutes and turn off the oven completely. Please note that if the temperature is set correctly and the oven is evenly heated, the bezels will first become matte and begin to increase in size. And after 7 minutes, a glossy crispy crust will begin to form on them, the rest of the time it is necessary that everything is baked inside and does not burn.
11. Now you need to wait until the oven has completely cooled down, after which you can open it and get ready-made bezeshki. Approximately, it takes from 2 to 4 hours to cool completely, so it is better to leave them in the cooling oven overnight.
12. We take it out of the oven and get a delicious delicacy according to the French recipe.

Properly cooked meringue will be snow-white, glossy and without a single crack. If you don’t have time to mess with meringue yourself, then you can try excellent meringue in one of the unusual cafes in Moscow.

french meringue recipe

Meringue, the recipe of which is common in France, is prepared by long-term baking at a low temperature of whipped proteins with sugar. The lush protein mass is dense, glossy, but does not hold its shape for a long time. Therefore, it will not work to cook patterned, with sharp edges, roses. But it is great for creating cute, voluminous frozen drops.

Italian meringue recipe

The Italian version of the Meringue recipe involves the combination of whipped proteins with a thick, hot sugar syrup. Such a mixture is similar to custard, keeps its shape perfectly, does not fall off and is great for decorating cakes, spreading wafer cakes, tubes, eclairs and even donuts.

Swiss meringue recipe

The most difficult thing in terms of cooking technology is meringue, the recipe of which was invented in Switzerland. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that you need to beat the proteins with sugar in a steam bath, while making sure that the mass is whipped slowly, evenly and in no case burns to the walls of the dish. Even the slightest violation of technology will contribute to the formation of lumps in the protein mass.

The result of such a complex recipe is worth it. Whipped, dense mass, obtained on a steam bath, ideally holds even the most complex and refined shape. The Swiss meringue recipe is ideal for creating the most intricate roses and does not require long drying. Ready-made bezeshkas can be easily lubricated with a fat cream - they will no longer settle and lose their shape.

Dishes and ingredients for meringue: recipe for 12 pieces (70 grams)

Dishes

• a bowl with high edges;
• mixer with whisks;
• oven tray;
• baking parchment;
• vinegar for degreasing;
• cream injector.

Ingredients

• egg white - 1 piece;
• sugar - 60 grams (1/3 cup);
• vanilla sugar - 1 teaspoon;
• citric acid - 1/4 teaspoon;
• salt - 1/6 teaspoon.

Nuances and little tricks of the meringue recipe

1. Wipe all dishes with vinegar.
All utensils with which proteins will come into contact must be perfectly clean and dry. Even a small amount of fat on the walls can greatly complicate the whipping process and contribute to the transformation of the protein mass into a sole.

Therefore, French confectioners recommend all utensils before cooking: bowls, spoons, spatulas, mixer beaters, pastry syringe, etc. wipe with ordinary table 9% vinegar. It is enough to moisten a disposable napkin with a small amount of vinegar, treat all surfaces and wait a bit until the vinegar is completely eroded.

2. Carefully separate the whites from the yolks.
It is important to separate the proteins from the yolks with the utmost care, so that not the slightest drop of the yolk gets into the container with the proteins. For convenience, each egg can be divided over a separate container. If the protein is well separated from the yolk, pour it into a bowl prepared for whipping. Leftover yolks can be used to make homemade mayonnaise.

3. Store the meringue in an airtight container in a dry place.
By no means in the refrigerator. Meringue can be stored for a long time in sealed packaging. If you leave it on the table, then there is a high probability that it will become damp and cease to be airy and crispy. This happens especially often if the bezeshki are left on the table in the kitchen or in the room during the cool season, when the central heating is already turned off or not yet turned on. It is absolutely impossible to store meringue in the refrigerator without packaging - it becomes damp within an hour.

4. Do not combine with fatty creams.
The classic French meringue, even after cooking, will not be able to adequately withstand contact with fat, which means that it is pointless to try to connect two meringues with a cream based on both vegetable and animal fats - it will fall off and turn into a sticky, sweet cake.

5. Keep proportions.
How many people have so many tastes: someone likes it sweeter, someone with sourness, someone with caramel flavor, etc. Classic meringue has a white color and a medium sweet taste with a touch of lemon. Therefore, the more sugar in the composition, the sooner the meringues will become caramelized and stick to the parchment.

If the goal is to cook caramel meringue, then the amount of sugar must be increased by 1/4 and the drying temperature must be increased. As soon as the sugar caramelizes and turns into a delicate brown shade of meringue, the temperature must be reduced, otherwise the caramelization process will continue and liquid sugar will begin to accumulate around the meringues.

6. Do not open the oven during the entire cooking time.
Electric ovens easily maintain a moderate temperature, and as a result, it is impossible to open the oven, since a fast flow of cold air from the kitchen will make the protein mass instantly fall off.

How to choose food and utensils

Eggs

The secret to a good meringue taste is the right choice of ingredients. Meringue is better not to cook from the freshest eggs. They are very poorly whipped and fall off quickly. Protein foam is loose and matte. For confectionery recipes where firmness is important, it is best to use a week-old egg white or a little more. They have less moisture and better retain air bubbles, which are so necessary to add airiness and lightness to meringues.

It is absolutely impossible to use stale eggs or eggs, which you strongly doubt as a quality, for meringue. The protein mass whipped with sugar is dried at a low temperature and such heat treatment is not enough to kill pathogenic microorganisms that may be in low-quality eggs.

Sugar

It would seem, how can granulated sugar differ from one another? Surprisingly, depending on the raw materials and the method of manufacture, sugar radically differs in its properties. In addition to the fact that sugar can be brown and white, made from cane and sugar beet, respectively, sugar can also differ in crystal size, bleaching technique and refinement.

According to the classic recipe, meringues are best prepared from perfectly white and fine granulated sugar, or powdered sugar. The larger the sugar crystals, the longer it will take to beat and there is a chance that the sugar will not completely dissolve. Coarse sugar will make the surface of the dried meringue uneven. The color of granulated sugar can greatly affect the color of the finished product, and here even bleaching with citric acid will not help.

Making powdered sugar is very easy. It is enough to take an ordinary coffee grinder and grind sugar in it. Can be used both manual and electric. In the absence of a coffee grinder, a mortar and pestle will do, but the powder will be heterogeneous and you will have to spend a lot of time on it.

Lemon acid

Citric acid is best used in powder form, as it mixes better with proteins. But you can use liquid or lemon juice. Sometimes ascorbic acid is used to prepare meringue, it gives a barely noticeable sourness, but it whitens it perfectly and acts as an excellent preservative.

Mixer

Many chefs and confectioners recommend beating eggs with sugar by hand, pointing out that this way they turn out more tender and airy. However, without good physical shape and prior training, the whipping process will take a very long time. It is better to use a mixer with whisks, which, like the whipping container, must be treated with vinegar.

Capacities

It is better to divide all the containers in which you cook according to the appropriate purpose: for salads, for raw meat or fish, and for the preparation of confectionery masterpieces. No matter how well a dishwasher works, or no matter how perfect a dishwashing detergent is, fish smells from dishes can be difficult to completely remove.

Particular difficulties arise if in a bowl in which you have repeatedly mixed Olivier salad or dressed with Greek oil, you need to whip proteins with sugar. Old greasy deposits and odors will not contribute to the good taste and airiness of the bezes.

Oven

The oven is of great importance for the preparation of meringues. Therefore, there was a huge variety of ways to achieve the desired temperature. There are two diametrically opposed positions: some confectioners believe that it should be baked in a tightly closed oven and opened only after the meringue has completely dried and cooled; others - that they should be baked in an ajar oven at a high temperature.

The choice primarily determines the type of oven and the ability to maintain the temperature. Oddly enough, but the native Soviet gas oven was ideal for making meringue, the recipe of which was known to almost every schoolchild: a temperature of 180 ° and a kitchen towel that allows you to make a small crack between the oven and the door. This technique was justified by the inability of most old ovens to evenly warm up at low temperatures.

A modern oven makes cooking meringue a process similar to flying into space. A large number of programs and a choice of functions have significantly complicated many simple recipes.

If you are using an electric oven, do not open it until the meringue is completely dry and cool. The reason is explained as follows: in a gas oven, air is supplied to maintain combustion through a special duct; There is no air duct in an electric oven.

Cold air from the kitchen enters through the duct to the heating element. The heated, dry air rushes into the main chamber of the gas oven and promotes baking. Therefore, the air temperature must be high, and the main chamber is open.

In electric ovens, there is no air flow through the heating element, and as a result, if you open a heated oven, hot air will rush out, and cold air will take its place, which will instantly make the meringue spread over the baking sheet.

Meringue recipe history

The history of the famous meringue recipe originates in Europe at the court of Louis XIV of the Sun King. However, as practice shows, preparing a delicious, lush meringue is not so simple. The first mention of a culinary masterpiece made from egg whites and sugar dates back to the 17th century. The name Meringue comes from the French "baiser", which means kiss. The second name "meringue" is much less common. And according to some sources, it comes from the name of the Swiss city "Meiringen", where the Italian chef invented the method of their preparation.

Meringues are oven-dried whipped egg whites. Meringues are usually called cakes, the basis of which is a protein cream. Traditionally, meringue recipes are divided into: French-classic, Italian and Swiss.