Classic French Meringue
A proper meringue is an exercise in patience and precision. You are essentially building a stable structure of protein and air that needs to dehydrate, not brown, in the oven.
Watch your fats and your speed
Ensure your bowl is perfectly clean; even a speck of yolk or oil will stop the whites from whipping. Use room temperature whites to get the most volume.
- Stand mixer with wire whisk attachment
- Large glass or metal bowl
- Parchment paper
- Large baking sheet
- Piping bag with a round tip
What goes in.
- 4large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cupsuperfine (caster) sugar
- 1/4 tspcream of tartar
- 1/2 tspvanilla extract
Stabilizing the Proteins
Adding cream of tartar lowers the pH of the egg whites, which keeps the protein bonds from tightening too quickly and prevents the meringue from weeping or collapsing.
The method.
Prep the oven
Preheat your oven to 225°F (107°C). Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Begin the whip
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the mixer bowl. Start on medium speed until frothy, roughly 1 minute.
Add the sugar
Increase to medium-high speed. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, waiting 15 seconds between each addition. This ensures the sugar dissolves fully into the whites.
Reach stiff peaks
Continue whipping until the mixture is thick, white, and glossy. When you pull the whisk out, the peak should stand straight up without bending at the tip.
Pipe the shapes
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag. Pipe rounds onto the parchment paper, spaced an inch apart.
Dry the bake
Bake for 75 to 90 minutes. They are finished when they lift easily off the parchment and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Cool completely
Turn the oven off and leave the door cracked open. Let them sit inside for at least an hour to finish crisping as they cool.
Other turns to take.
Almond Meringue
Fold in a quarter cup of finely ground almond flour at the very end before piping.
Chocolate Swirl
Drizzle a small amount of melted, cooled dark chocolate over the piping bag before squeezing to create a marbled effect.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Test if the sugar is dissolved by rubbing a bit of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger; if it feels gritty, keep whipping.
Do not bake on a humid day; the sugar will absorb the moisture from the air and the meringues will turn sticky.
If your oven runs hot, use an oven thermometer to ensure you stay below 250°F to prevent yellowing.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why are my meringues chewy instead of crisp?
They likely needed more time in the oven or the humidity in your kitchen is too high. Extend the drying time.
Can I use regular granulated sugar?
You can, but the grains are larger and take longer to dissolve, which increases the risk of over-beating the whites.