Brown Sugar and Walnut Meringues

04Apr08

Meringues can be tricky things to make but it’s not as hard as it may seem. I’ve had friends call me in despair when their meringues have failed dismally (yes you Susie!) and when I posted these little mocha babies, I received quite a few emails and comments asking me for help on how to make them. Now I’m no expert on meringues, but I thought I’d write a short post with a few tips and tricks I’ve learnt over the years.

Here we go:

• Don’t use egg whites straight from the fridge. Egg whites should always be at room temperature as they are easier to whisk and more air can be incorporated.
• As a general rule, for one eggwhite, use the same amount of sugar as the weight of the egg. So, for a 60g egg, use 60g of sugar.
• The bowl in which you want to use to whip your egg whites must be spotlessly clean. It’s best to use a bowl made from either stainless steel, ceramic, glass or copper as plastic bowls can sometimes contain traces of fat and grease. Your utensils (i.e. spatula, beaters, whisk) should be spotlessly clean too.
• When adding the sugar to the egg whites, add it a tablespoon at a time whisking well in between each addition. After all the sugar is incorporated, whisk for around 3 minutes or until the mixture is super shiny, glossy and lusciously thick. At this stage the sugar should be completely dissolved. You can rub a little bit between your thumb and forefinger to check.

• Be careful not to overbeat the meringues as they will collapse whilst cooking and sugar droplets will form on the surface.
• Perfect meringues can be made using just egg whites and sugar, but it’s always nice to have a little help. The addition of cornflour helps to produce a chewy interior and the addition of white vinegar, or any other acid like lemon juice, helps to stabilise the egg whites.
• Baking time depends entirely on their size obviously, but for a general rule of thumb, bake them until they are crisp to touch. For smallish ones around 5cm in diameter, this should take around 30 minutes. For a really big pavlova, it will be around an hour and 15 minutes. Once the meringues are baked, allow them to cool in the switched-off oven until completely cold.
• As meringue mix is so light, I find that when I’m spooning or piping the mix onto the paper-lined trays, it tends to slide about and I can’t pipe properly. Quick fix: dab a little bit of sticky meringue mix onto each corner of the baking paper and affix it onto your tray. Instant glue!

Hopefully what I’ve shared with you can help if you have trouble making meringues. It just takes a little patience, care and remember the motto I follow, “go slow and low”. Always add the sugar slowly and bake them at a low temperature :)

Brown Sugar and Walnut Meringues

Adapted from a recipe found in Australian Women’s Weekly, April 2008.

4 egg whites

240g light brown sugar

1 cup (100g) walnuts, finely chopped

1 teaspoon cornflour

½ teaspoon white vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C (100°C if fan forced). Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
2. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl with an electric mixer or freestanding mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking until sugar well in between additions. Whisk for another 3 minutes until the mix is satiny shiny and thick.
3. Gently fold through ¾ cup of the walnuts, cornflour and vinegar.
4. Using a piping bag with a large plain nozzle, pipe the meringue mixture into small rounds approximately 5cm in diameter, around 3 centimetres apart, on the prepared trays. Sprinkle the tops of the meringues with the remaining walnuts.
5. Bake for around 25 minutes or until they are crisp to touch. Turn off the oven and allow to cool completely with the door slightly ajar for several hours until completely cold.

Makes around 40.

Filed under: cookies/biscuits, nuts, recipes   |  22 Comments
Tags: baking, biscuit, egg, egg white, food, meringue, recipe, sugar, walnut