Meringue

Meringue.

I don't understand how a dessert made with just two ingredients - egg whites and sugar- can be so complicated! The first time I attempted to make this I couldn't even get the egg whites to stiffen into peaks. The second time my meringues sank. They literally deflated after coming out of the oven. The third time, they wept (seriously, they are called weeping meringues! ! ! !) in the oven. This time though, they were pretty good. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside :) Yaas. I though amateur-y. But alas, I forgot to put vanilla extract into the mix. So now I have eggy smelling meringues.

Anyway, to get perfect meringues, you have to start with fresh egg whites. While separating the eggs, it is important not to let even the tiniest bit of the egg yolk into the bowl of the whites else the fat from the egg yolk will not allow the whites to forth up well. A few other things to keep in mind are a) Use a glass bowl or a metal bowl for whisking the eggs. The thing with plastic bowls is that even after you wash them, they aren't always grease free. b) Don't attempt to make meringues on a humid day because, well, egg whites don't really like humidity. The additional moisture from the air will make your meringues weep in the oven or afterwards. c) Try to use an electric whisk for making meringues. I mean, I guess you could hand whisk them but it might take a while for the whites to fluff up and you'd tire your arms. 

This recipe makes 5 large meringues. 

Separate two egg whites into a glass/metal bowl and whisk them till they reach the consistancy below. You should be able to hold it upside down, over your (or in my case, my brother's) head and not have it plop on the said head. 

Yes, those are infact green cupboards. 

Then, divide 80 grams of icing sugar into two parts. Stir in the first part, teaspoon by teaspoon, whisking the egg mixture for a couple of seconds before incorporating each additional spoonful of sugar, till the egg mixture is satiny smooth and it forms stiff peaks. Add a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract and whisk till well incorporated.

"It's so strange how air can change egg white and
sugar into such a creamy-glazed thing" My Brother.

Fold in the remaining sugar into the mixture, 1/2 of it at a time till its well blended. Spoon the mixture, over parchment paper (I didn't have any parchment paper so I used regular white printing paper) and bake for about 2 hours at 100C. Then, leave the meringues in the oven till the oven cools down completely. This helps in removing excess moisture from the meringues and you'll end up with meringues that are crisp on the outside with just the right chewy consistency in the inside. 

Et voilà, perfect meringues!