Meringue Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making meringue? ›

Use fresh egg whites. Old egg whites tend to collapse when other ingredients are folded in, and they don't rise well in the oven. Use eggs at room temperature. Cold egg whites tend to reduce meringue volume.

Storage: Store extra Meringue Mushrooms in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Watch the weather: Meringue is easiest to whip up on days that are fairly low in humidity. If it's raining out or muggy, it might be best to wait because meringue absorbs moisture in the air and turns limp or sticky.

Cracks are a common problem when making meringue but they are easy to avoid when you know what is causing them. There are two main reasons why meringues crack when baked: The first and most common reason (and what happened to the meringues in the front of this pic) is that the oven temperature is too high.

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.

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.

and vinegar in combination with the cornstarch, help stabilize the egg foam by decreasing the pH level in the albumen, making the foam less apt to collapse. Vinegar and Cream of Tartar are both acids.

Meringues can crack because of the sudden change in temperature. To prevent this happening, turn the oven off when the meringues are cooked but leave them inside until completely cool.”

The difference between the different types of meringue is how the sugar and egg whites are combined. No matter the type, fat is the enemy to a strong meringue. I like to wipe my bowl and whisk down with a bit of vinegar to get rid of any residual fat or grease.

Can you Rebake meringue in the oven? ›

You can also use the oven to re-crisp soggy or stale meringues. Put them in at a low temperature for ten minutes.

The other reason is that meringue is cooked. I can't really think of a dish made with an uncooked meringue. Italian and Swiss meringues (as used for buttercreams or things like baked Alaska) are cooked before use. French meringues (for things like pavlova, meringue cookies, or soufflé)are baked before eating.

After a stay in the refrigerator, the meringue without cream of tartar showed beads of moisture on its surface. The pie prepared with cream of tartar emerged in much better shape, with a dry, smooth, bead-free meringue.

The meringue is flavoured slightly with lemon zest and some lemon juice is added. The lemon juice does not really add flavour to the meringue, it is mainly used as its acidity helps to stabilise the whisked egg whites in the meringue mixture.

Keep in mind that more cream of tartar doesn't necessarily mean a better, more stable result. “Too much cream of tartar will impart a metallic, tin-like taste,” Molly warns.

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...

The cornflour and vinegar that is added strengthens the egg white and make it more stable and you get the marshmallowy centres from the shorter cooking time.