How To Make Mermaid Meringue Cookies! {Meringue and Ganache Recipe} (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use fresh or old eggs for meringue? ›

Thanks to the modern mixer, meringue making is a lot easier and older eggs aren't necessary. In fact, older eggs create a less stable foam because the liquid drains more easily from the bubbles. As a general rule of thumb, if stability is more important than volume, use fresher eggs.

It's important to beat the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks, which means they hold their shape when the beaters are lifted. If you stop beating too soon, the meringue may not stiffen properly [1]. Adding sugar too soon: Adding the sugar too early in the beating process can prevent the meringue from stiffening.

Over whip the egg whites and you risk making them too firm and they will risk losing the moisture that they hold. This will affect your meringue's crispness, as well as making it more likely to collapse or weep beads of sugar. As my meringue guru Gary Mehigan advises: “If you over whip the egg whites you cannot fix it.

A small amount of cream of tartar or vinegar can be added to the mixture at the beginning of whipping to help stabilize the foam and make it less likely to collapse. Don't use plastic bowls—they can retain a film of fat from previously mixed or stored items that can deflate the meringue.

Back to the proportion and ratio part, if you want your meringue to come out firm and crisp on the outside you need to use 1 part egg whites 2 parts granulated sugar. The other secret to a real good meringue is time, you have to whisk the egg whites and sugar enough time to get a stable meringue.

No yolks here! Surprisingly, fat is the enemy of a good meringue. Think about it this way: Egg yolks are what you use when you want a dense, luscious dessert like mousse or chocolate pudding. Egg whites provide the lightest, airiest texture you can imagine.

The crisp, ethereal cookies you know and love have egg whites to thank for their texture. Ensure the meringue turns stiff and glossy by adding in a pinch of cream of tartar.

In the case of the meringues, adding the sugar at the start of mixing produced a cookie that was dull on the exterior, with a too-fine crumb within. The cookies made when the sugar was added at the very end had an overly airy texture (tasters compared it to Styrofoam) and a grainy consistency.

Turn the whisk around and examine the bottom of the meringue that was collected on the whisk. It should have soft but distinct formed waves on the bottom. If the meringue is chunky, the waves are chunky, or there are too many little hard peaks all over the meringue, that means you've over whipped.

You must be careful when separating eggs. While getting some egg whites with your yolks shouldn't impact your recipe too severely, getting egg yolks in egg whites can ruin your delicate French macarons and smooth meringues because the fat from the yolk minimizes the egg white's ability to fluff into stiff peaks.

Why do people add vinegar to meringue? ›

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

If you need a cream of tartar substitute for meringue, lemon juice is your best choice. Recommendations vary on the exact ratio to use, but in general, you'll need 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for each ½ teaspoon of the cream of tartar. This cream of tartar alternative is also perfect in syrups or frosting recipes.

Do You Have To Age Egg Whites? There are many people who say you do not need to age egg whites but if you are just starting out, this small step can help with success. Aging egg whites give you a little wiggle room in the mixing stage and are less prone to being over-mixed.

Age of Eggs:

Meringue recipes work better with eggs that are at least 3 or 4 days old. Thin, older egg whites whip more easily to a higher volume than thick, fresh egg whites. Once whipped, the foam from thin whites is less stable because the liquid film drains more easily from the bubbles.

If your whipped egg whites become curdled and dry, they have gone too far. After excessive whipping, the proteins can get so close to each other, they essentially suffocate and expel the water contained within their circle, causing your foam to separate.

Simply beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). This will take 4 to 5 minutes total.