Everything about Meringue totally explained
Meringue is a type of
dessert made from
whipped egg whites and
caster sugar. Some meringue recipes call for adding a binding agent such as
cream of tartar or the
cornstarch found in
confectioner's sugar. Meringues are often flavoured with vanilla and a small amount of almond or coconut extract. They are very light and airy and extremely sweet. The notion that meringue was invented in the
Swiss town of
Meiringen by an
Italian chef named Gasparini is contended. It is more certain that the name
meringue for this confection first appeared in print in
François Massialot's cookbook of 1692. The word
meringue first appeared in English in 1706 (
OED) in an English translation of Massialot's book. Two considerably earlier seventeenth-century English manuscript books of recipes give instructions for confections that are recognizable as meringue, though called "white biskit bread" in the book of receipts started in 1604 by Lady Elinor
Fettiplace (c. 1570 - c. 1647) of
Appleton in
Berkshire (now
Oxfordshire), or called "pets" in the manuscript of collected recipes written by Lady Rachel Fane (1612/13 - 1680), of
Knole, Kent.
Type of Meringue
There are several types of meringue, the sweetened, uncooked beaten eggwhites that form the "islands" of
Floating Island, the partly cooked toppings of
Lemon meringue pie and other meringue-topped desserts, and the classic dry featherweight meringue. Several techniques produce these results: that used by most home cooks is known as a 'French meringue', and is described below. An 'Italian meringue' is made with boiling sugar syrup, instead of caster sugar. This leads to a much more stable soft meringue which can be used in various pastries without collapsing. A 'Swiss meringue' is whisked over a
bain marie to warm the eggwhites, and then whisked steadily until it cools. It is then baked. This recipe is often used for
Pavlova bases.
When
egg whites are beaten, some of the
hydrogen bonds in the
protein break, causing the protein's structure to unfold. This change in structure leads to the stiff consistency required for meringues.
Typically, two whipped egg whites and 113g (4oz) of caster sugar are what compose a single batch cooked meringue.
When beating egg whites, they're classified in three stages according to the peaks they form when the beater is lifted: soft, medium, and stiff peaks.
In an Italian meringue, a hot sugar syrup is whipped into softly whipped egg whites till stiff. This type of meringue is safe to use without cooking. It won't deflate for a long while and can be either used on pies and
Baked Alaska, or spread on a sheet and baked for meringues.
Meringues used like cookies are baked at a very low heat for a long time. One name for them is "Forgotten Cookies" as they can be left in a gas oven for long periods of time after the cooking is done. They are not supposed to be "tanned" at all, but they need to be very crisp and dry. Cooked meringue can't be refrigerated or it'll become soggy. They will keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container.
Meringue can be used as the basis for various other desserts including
angel food cake,
pavlova,
Baked Alaska,
Queen of Puddings,
Key lime pie, and
lemon meringue pie. In these cases, the meringue may be cooked at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time, resulting in a soft meringue with slightly browned peaks on top.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Meringue'.
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