Meringues, the first ‘real’ recipe I ever learned to make. A true Eve’s Kitchen classic and a delicious basic recipe that is also very easy to make!
Make your own meringues
I used to have a friendship book with two other friends from secondary school. It must have been either first or second year. In it we wrote stories about each other, our three favourite boys, what we did at the weekend and also a recipe. Yes, one, not several. I wasn’t very culinary at that age… But I could make meringues like no one else!
Classic meringue
Making meringues is not very complicated, but it does require a little patience. It starts with beating the egg whites and sugar until you have stiff peaks. You will need a clean, grease-free bowl.
My golden tip is always to coat the clean bowl with a few drops of lemon juice. Rub it on the inside of the bowl and your whisk with kitchen paper and dry thoroughly.
High peaks
Whipping the egg whites takes a while, so be patient. The sugar needs to be fully absorbed and you want to be able to make firm, white, shiny peaks.
I prefer to pipe them on with a piping bag and piping nozzle, but you can also use a spoon. Then bake at a low temperature for a long time so that they set properly and don’t discolor. We don’t want them to get a golden brown colour in the oven!
Easy meringue recipe
This meringue recipe is really just a basic and easy recipe. The ratio is 1 egg white + 60 grams of sugar. It is actually 1:2, or 1 part egg white, about 30 grams or 1/4 cup, and 2 parts sugar, which is 60 grams or 1/2 cup of sugar. Not really hard to remember 😉. This will give you the perfect meringue every time!
Different flavours
I prefer to use eggs at room temperature, it just works best. Want to add flavour? Wait until the egg whites have set. You could add vanilla, rose water or citrus extract. Think white is a bit boring? Add some food colouring, there are so many to choose from!
Different types of meringue
Meringue comes in many shapes and sizes, baked or unbaked, and in different sizes.
The smaller you make them, the quicker they set. Do you prefer a chewy meringue with a slightly soft centre? Then add a teaspoon of cornflour when beating the egg whites. You can eat these meringues on their own or use them in a recipe (like Eton mess)
There are several ways to make meringues. I will list the options:
- French meringue: My recipe for meringues is based on a French meringue. You mix the raw egg whites with the fine granulated sugar or icing sugar and then bake it to make meringues. French meringue is also called Dutch foam or raw foam.
- Swiss meringue or meringue foam is also called cooking meringue, which is heated au-bain-marie before being beaten and is slightly harder than French meringue.
- Italian meringue is made by first making a sugar syrup. This is then mixed with the egg whites during the beating. This is used ‘raw’ in desserts or pastries. For example, in lemon meringue, where the syrup is burned off to create a crispy layer.
And then there is pavlova. What is that? Well, it is basically a meringue/foam cake. It was originally named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. I also have a delicious version of a Pavlova wreath on the blog.
Ingredients
- a few drops of lemon juice
- 3 egg whites
- 180 gram fine granulated sugar
- optional: a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of cornflour
Equipment
- Standmixer
- Parchment paper
- Piping bag + nozzle
INSTRUCTIONS (how to make this recipe):
- Preheat the oven to 80 degrees Celsius / 176 Fahrenheit top and bottom heat.
- Grease a clean bowl with lemon juice, dry well and add the egg whites. Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer or in a food processor until stiff.
- Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until all the sugar has been incorporated and the egg whites form nice firm white peaks.
- **Take a piping bag and add a star nozzle (optional) and place it in a measuring cup, leaving it open. Spoon the beaten egg whites into the piping bag, close the bag.
- Pipe nice dollops (as in the photo) onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Use extra baking trays if the mixture is too big.
- Bake the meringues for about 2 to 3 hours, depending on their size. Remove from the oven once they have set. Enjoy!
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