How to Make Meringues

Meringues are among the ideal options for desserts. These sweat treats are very easy to make and can be used in combination with various other ingredients to create great desserts. Meringues can be of different types, like, Italian, Swiss, French, etc. You may prepare the one you like, if you know the right methods.

Before starting with meringue recipes, there are some basic factors that you have to keep in mind. The following are some guidelines that will help in making proper meringues.

You must avoid humid and rainy days for making meringues. This is because, moisture will spoil its crispiness, as sugar absorbs moisture from the air. Even the utensils you use for mixing the ingredients must be completely dry and free of grease. Avoid plastic ones as they have the tendency to retain grease.

You may go for utensils made of copper, stainless steel or glass. The eggs you use must be fresh as this reduces the chances of breaking the yolks, while removing the whites. Fresh egg whites can also be whisked better. Make sure to bring the egg whites to room temperature, before whisking them.

In order to prepare 30 pieces of meringues, you require four egg whites, a cup of caster sugar and a pinch of salt. You may also replace salt with cream of tartar. Make sure that the egg whites are of room temperature with no trace of yolks. If they are just taken out of the refrigerator, wait for at least 30 minutes, before starting whisking them.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the egg whites with an electric beater (with the whisk attachment) on medium speed. High speed is not recommended at the initial stage, as this will negatively affect the foam formation.

As the egg whites turn bubbly, add a pinch of salt or caster sugar into it and continue whisking. This ingredient is optional. It is used for stiffening the foam, before sugar is added to it.\

As soon as the egg whites form soft peaks, add sugar in small batches (teaspoonfuls), without stopping whisking. In general, a single egg white used for making meringue requires ¼ cup or 50 grams of granulated sugar (or fine sugar). After adding the last batch of sugar, whisk for another two minutes.

Once the sugar gets dissolved completely and the mixture forms stiff and glossy, you can stop whisking. You may rub a small amount of the mixture in between the thumb and forefinger tips to check whether the sugar is dissolved completely.

Now take out the whisk from the egg white-sugar mixture. If the whisk leaves stiff peaks of foam, it is perfect. Don't whisk further, as it will spoil the consistency of the foam.

• The next step is to spoon the mixture onto the lined baking trays. Make sure that the meringues are at least an inch apart from one another.
• Before placing them inside the oven, reduce the temperature of the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the meringues inside the oven and leave them for around ninety minutes. 

• Switch off the oven, but, don't take them out. Instead, let the meringues cool inside the oven itself.
• As you take them out, the meringues will be light and crispy with an off white shade. Place them on a wire rack for further cooling, before storing them in an air tight container. You can store them for around a week.

The above said is the easy recipe for making meringues at home. There are other variations and if you are interested in making them at home, gather such recipes too. Some people may find it difficult to make meringues, when they try it for the first time. But, don't lose heart. Try again and you will be successful in making perfect meringues. Good luck.