Meringues Recipe - Baking with Granny (2024)

FAQs

Is cream of tartar or cornstarch better for meringue? ›

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an excellent way to foolproof your meringue. Use it to create added fluff and keep your hard-won volume from shrinking. Cream of Tartar: Often added in when making meringues, acidic cream of tartar provides lift and stabilization.

Meringues are not supposed to harden completely in the oven. While low heat will dry them out, meringues do not become hard and crisp until they have had a chance to cool for five or ten minutes.

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.

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

Fat is the great enemy of meringue, so always make sure your egg whites are void of any yolk and also that your equipment is clean. There are three main types of meringues and each creates a different structure. Also known as common meringue, French meringue is made by adding sugar to egg whites while they whisk.

One of the most common mistakes is not beating the eggs long enough, or on too slow a speed, which means the egg whites won't reach stiff peak stage and instead only reach a soggy droopy stage.

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.

Once baked, French meringue should be crisp and light, but not browned, when done cooking. Be sure to bake them slowly at low heat. You will know when they are done when the baked meringue can easily be lifted off a piece of parchment and the bottoms are dry.

Can you over beat meringue? ›

You can't overbeat meringue - It's true! You can't ruin it by mixing too much, so once all of the sugar is added, be sure that your meringue is glossy and that you have super firm, stiff peaks when you remove the beater from the mixer. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if it appears too soft.

Cream of tartar stabilizes the tiny bubbles in the egg whites, by precluding the egg proteins from sticking together. It thus speeds up the egg white whipping process and contributes to a stable, billowy, glossy meringue, perfect for cookies, topping pies, and folding into cake.

Overbaking wrecks the texture of a meringue

If you've ever eaten a slice of meringue pie that was inexplicably moist, this is probably what happened.

A secret ingredient: corn starch

Corn starch molecules also provide more hold for meringue. It will be easier to cut and is less likely to weep.

Cream of Tartar is commonly used when beating egg whites to increase heat tolerance and volume, making it ideal for meringues and soufflés.

No. Cornstarch is a starch used for thickening, while cream of tartar is an acid used for leavening, stabilizing, and preventing crystallization. They play totally different roles in baking and are not considered substitutes for one another.

Cream of tartar is added to introduce acid, which helps with the stabilization of meringue.