Success with Meringue!
i made my Mom's Meringue cookies for the first time last night, and would you believe it, they were a success!
but i think i got lucky. however, i've also been told there are certain things you should never do when making a meringue. Such as use a metal bowl, or metal utensils. I used a glass bowl, but my hand mixer has metal attachments. and then i used a plastic spoon to make the drop cookies.
Metal bowl not OK? plastic bowls not OK? metal mixer OK? plastic spatula/other utensils OK for meringues? What else should I know for next time?
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2 Comments:
Congrats!! Next step, macaroons!
A metal bowl is great for beating egg whites, in fact copper bowls help the meringue turn out better. Bring the egg whites at room temperature before beating and make sure there isn't any fat anywhere.
Plastic bowls hold on to fats and oils that have been mixed in them, so it is best not to beat meringue in a plastic bowl.
sarahj at 3:37PM on 04/13/08
Not all metals are created equally. Copper bowls are often recommended for whipping egg whites. The chemical reaction with the copper helps stabilize the whipped whites and improves the volume. You don't get the same chemical reaction when using stainless or glass, but you can add a pinch of cream of tartar to get a similar effect. And it's alot cheaper than a copper bowl :-) There is no reason not to use those.
Now, a reactive metal, like aluminum, you do want to avoid. It can react with the eggs whites like copper does, but not in nice way.
I would also avoid plastic. It can retain grease, no matter how well you wash it. And even a little bit of fat can prevent your egg whites from whipping well.
Joy of Baking has a good egg primer.
kjgibson at 3:39PM on 04/13/08