| Colourful merengues |
Cuisine: French
Author: Maria Kalenska
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 3 hrs
Total time: 3 hrs 15 mins
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 120 g refined caster sugar
- gel food colouring
Cooking method
- Heat oven to 160˚С. Whisk egg whites with a mixer on low speed until soft peaks. While increasing the speed of the mixer, add sugar one teaspoon at a time. Sugar serves as an abrasive that helps the merengue whisk better. Whisk until fluffy, snow-white, glossy. There is no need to wait until the sugar is completely dissolved. To check how much the sugar has dissolved, you can take the egg whites mixture and rub it between your fingers to make sure that the sugar is practically dissolved. It's important not to over-beat the whites. It is easy to check if meringue is ready: if you turn the bowl over, the mixture remains in it.
- Put a pastry bag with a nozzle on the glass. Using the gel food colouring, draw vertical lines from the nozzle and up with a brush. The more lines and the thicker they are, the more intense the meringue colour will be. It's important not to overdo it. Fill the bag with the egg whites mixture and pipe the meringues on a silicone sheet or parchment paper. It is advisable to make the meringues the same size so that the drying time coincides. Reduce the temperature in the oven to 100˚С, put the meringues and dry them for 2-3 hours until tender. Drying time depends on many factors, including humidity in the room. You can turn off the oven after 3 hours, slightly open the oven door, and leave the meringues overnight. You can make them in advance, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to one month.
My tips and tricks
Use eggs at room temperature, this way the whites will absorb more air and the meringue will be more stable. Eggs should be a week old or more, then the whites will be drier and whisk easier. Bowl for whisking should be grease free and wiped dry. You can degrease the bowl by wiping it with a slice of lemon. Carefully separate the whites from the yolks, not allowing the yolks to get to the whites. You can use your hands, passing the whites among your fingers (in this case, you need to thoroughly wash your hands, grease is our enemy).
Maria Kalenska Gastronomy Blog | http://www.myodessacuisine.com/recipes/colourful-merengues/