Post by kickingfrog on Jan 27, 2011 10:32:22 GMT
Perfect meringues
– with thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi
Felicity Cloake
Makes about 10 large ones.
300g caster sugar (golden if you prefer a more caramelised flavour and colour)
5 eggs, whites only, at room temperature
Lemon slice (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 200C. Spread the sugar over an oven tray lined with baking parchment and cook until it has just begun to melt at the edges, but not caramelise (about 8 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, crack the eggs, being careful not to drop any yolk into your whites. If you lose any bits of shell, scoop them out with a clean spoon rather than your fingers.
3. Wipe the inside of your mixing bowl, and the whisk, with the cut side of the lemon and add the eggs. As soon as you spot the sugar beginning to melt at the edges, set the mixer to whisk at high speed while you take the sugar out of the oven.
4. The mixture should be just foamy by the time you add the sugar. Wearing oven gloves, pick up the baking parchment with oven gloves and tip the hot sugar slowly into the still-whisking mixer. Continue whisking until the mixture has cooled, and is glossy and will hold its shape. Turn the oven down to its lowest setting.
5. If you want to fold through any spices or other flavourings, or roll the meringues in nuts or another topping, this is your moment – but they'll be pretty good as they are.
6. Line a baking tray with parchment, and spoon the meringue on in great gorgeous blobs – remember they'll increase in size as they dry out. Put them into the oven and bake until they are crisp on the outside, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom: depending on their size, this could take six hours, so don't wait up.
7. Turn the oven off and leave them in there until it has cooled, then immediately transfer to an air-tight container.
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/aug/19/how-to-make-perfect-meringue
– with thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi
Felicity Cloake
Makes about 10 large ones.
300g caster sugar (golden if you prefer a more caramelised flavour and colour)
5 eggs, whites only, at room temperature
Lemon slice (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 200C. Spread the sugar over an oven tray lined with baking parchment and cook until it has just begun to melt at the edges, but not caramelise (about 8 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, crack the eggs, being careful not to drop any yolk into your whites. If you lose any bits of shell, scoop them out with a clean spoon rather than your fingers.
3. Wipe the inside of your mixing bowl, and the whisk, with the cut side of the lemon and add the eggs. As soon as you spot the sugar beginning to melt at the edges, set the mixer to whisk at high speed while you take the sugar out of the oven.
4. The mixture should be just foamy by the time you add the sugar. Wearing oven gloves, pick up the baking parchment with oven gloves and tip the hot sugar slowly into the still-whisking mixer. Continue whisking until the mixture has cooled, and is glossy and will hold its shape. Turn the oven down to its lowest setting.
5. If you want to fold through any spices or other flavourings, or roll the meringues in nuts or another topping, this is your moment – but they'll be pretty good as they are.
6. Line a baking tray with parchment, and spoon the meringue on in great gorgeous blobs – remember they'll increase in size as they dry out. Put them into the oven and bake until they are crisp on the outside, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom: depending on their size, this could take six hours, so don't wait up.
7. Turn the oven off and leave them in there until it has cooled, then immediately transfer to an air-tight container.
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/aug/19/how-to-make-perfect-meringue