Not everyone is good at meringues. Many people wonder how to prepare a beautiful meringue, how to color it, how to make sure that the meringue does not turn yellow, crack, or change color and shape. So we pick up a pencil and write a recipe. Yulia Ivanova, who knows firsthand what an ideal meringue is, and has taught many students in her master classes.
Ingredients:
- 95 g protein;
- 95 g sugar;
- 95 g powdered sugar (no starch).
How to make the right meringue that doesn’t melt:
Step 1. Mix the whites with sugar and powdered sugar. We bet on steam bath. It is important that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the hot water.
Step 2. Mix vigorously with a whisk so that the whites do not cook. Keep in the bath until the sugar dissolves. Perhaps some grains will remain, but not many.
Step 3. Pour the hot protein and sugar mixture into a mixer (I have a planetary mixer) and beat until stiff peaks form. I hope everyone knows, the clarity of the relief depends on them.
Step 4. By the time the meringue is ready, it should have cooled down. We paint it in the desired color with gel dyes. I really love the Americolor Electric series. For such a delicate color as in the photo, you only need a drop. We put them in bags with different attachments (closed star 6-8-pointed) and place them on the mat.
photo by Yulia Ivanova
Step 5. Baking temperature and time depend on the size of the meringue and the features of your oven. I bake at 60 degrees. If they are very small, then 1 hour, for larger ones - 2 hours. If the meringues turn yellow, reduce the temperature.
Meringues do not melt on their own if cooked in correct proportions and technology is followed. I store it in a box in a dark and dry place. I keep it, of course, I exaggerated, they are selling like hot cakes. But you will still ask
How I wanted to cook it! Nowadays it’s fashionable to decorate cakes with such things, and I had a reason to create a bright miracle. Gel dyes were purchased especially for him, which do not liquefy the mass and are well pigmented. But the first meringue didn’t work, I made it on a quick fix, I was too lazy to twist the powder. In the photo of the cake you can see several round meringues (with blue and green) that have spread. They also went into use, were not thrown away, but not so beautiful. I’ll teach you how to cook correctly so that everything works out the first time.
Ingredients:
- 70 g protein;
- 70 g sugar;
- 70 g powder;
- dyes as desired.
Cooking method
Both sugar and powder are required. Carefully separate the whites so that the yolk does not get in. Place in a clean bowl. Check to make sure there is no fat or moisture. Wipe the whisk with a napkin too. Let's start whipping pure proteins until stiff foam, do not add anything ahead of time. As soon as the mass increases and becomes thick, add sand. Whisk with it until completely dissolved. If you don’t bring the whites to thickness, then nothing will work. We follow the proportion: 1 part proteins, 1 part powder, 1 part granulated sugar. 
My mixer broke down at the most inopportune moment, and the blender was spilling, so I had to transfer the egg whites to a tall bowl. As soon as the sugar has all dissolved, add the powder in parts, continuing to beat the meringue. The photo shows how it should turn out: a stable, white mass, however, for some reason grains of sugar slipped through, I was sinning on the whisk of the blender, it’s not very convenient to work with it. I added vanilla so that the dessert would not smell like eggs. 
Meringue coloring. You can skip this step. I just paint stripes on the bag with gel paints and a regular brush. Next, put the whipped whites into the bag. I usually put it in a blender glass, unwrap it, and it turns out convenient. 
Set aside the meringue. You can take parchment, baking paper, but silicone has no competition. I don’t even throw away old mats; they’re good for meringues and help out when baking honey cakes when you need several baking sheets. We squeeze out the beautiful things and immediately stick the skewers in. We start with large products, arrange them in a checkerboard pattern. Squeeze out small things from the leftovers; you can stick toothpicks in or leave them there to decorate the sides of the cake. You can stick the skewers in later. The pastry chef told me that they put it “on glue” (melted chocolate or icing), but I like it better this way, the meringue on sticks according to this recipe holds up well. Here the staining was done with red and yellow colors.
Baking, or rather drying. Common Mistake – heat. In this case, the meringue turns yellow and cracks. It is recommended to dry at 90 degrees, but I set it to 70-80. You can place several baking trays at once. If the oven is gas, be sure to keep an eye on it. My meringue on sticks takes 2-3 hours to dry. Then I turn off the oven and leave it with the door ajar for a while longer. I know that you can even use a dryer for vegetables and fruits. Meringue comes off perfectly from silicone. The baking paper stuck to me a little. Well, one more photo of the cake. I used the remaining small things for edging.
Secrets of making meringue on a stick
- You can color the whites in different bowls, then place them in pastry bag, if you’re not too lazy to dirty extra dishes. This option is suitable if there are no gel dyes.
- There is no need to add anything by eye. Meringue does not like experiments and haste, I have been convinced of this many times, it is better to use scales.
- Natural paints are not suitable: juices of carrots, beets, spinach, the mass from them becomes liquid and is poorly colored. But for taste you can add lemon juice or acid. They make the meringue stronger.
Meringue is one of the easiest desserts to prepare, which, however, still raises a lot of questions and difficulties in the preparation process.
According to the method of preparation, there are three types of meringues:
French meringue – egg whites, whipped with sugar and/or powdered sugar. The most popular method for further preparation of crispy airy meringues.
Swiss meringue- it is prepared from proteins whipped with sugar in a water bath. It is used to produce products such as meringues, meringues (dry crispy crust with a moist soufflé core inside), as well as creams.
Italian meringue– whites whipped into foam with hot sugar syrup. Most often used for decoration, creams and other meringues that do not require further heat treatment.
It is most stable over time and during baking, which explains its popularity when making macarons.
Of the three types above, the simplest is French version preparations. Let's talk about how to beat meringue using this method in order to bake meringue later.
1. Fresh eggs beat longer, because contain more moisture.
2. The yolks of cold eggs separate more easily, because... their shell is stronger, and cold whites whip a little faster, but warm whites produce a fluffier, glossier, more stable meringue from warm whites.
You can separate the whites from the yolks of fresh, cold eggs in advance, and then let them age for a couple of days in the refrigerator, then come to room temperature before beating.
3. One egg white of the first category requires about 50 g of sugar.
4. Not a single micron of yolk should get into the white, otherwise it will not beat.
5. Also, the container itself in which you beat must be absolutely dry and grease-free. Wipe with vinegar and wipe the container dry with a dry, clean cloth if in doubt. It is better to use glass or metal containers.
6. For snow-white meringue, add a couple of drops of lemon juice, which is also a preservative and stabilizer for meringue. Salt is also a stabilizer for protein foam.
7. If you want to get caramel-colored meringue, increase the sugar rate by about 1/4 and dry the meringue a little longer than usual at a temperature of 105-110 degrees.
The taste of these meringues will also be different; they take on a caramel note or, to some, resemble the taste of creme brulee.
8. During the beating process, all sugar must completely dissolve and contact the protein molecules. If you are still afraid that all the sugar will not dissolve, replace half with powdered sugar.
9. It is easy to overbeat the whites, then the mass will be too porous and will fall off quickly, but you should get a dense, smooth, shiny mass, so it is recommended to beat at low speed first.
10. If you want to color the meringue, it is better to use gel or dry dye, which is added at the very end. Remember that the raw meringue should be a little brighter than the color you want in the end, because... a small part of the dye still burns off during baking.
If you are still afraid that meringue does not like moisture, and there is too much gel dye, then add a pinch corn starch when whipping.
Good day to all! First of all, thank you very much everyone for your congratulations! I didn’t have the opportunity to say “thank you” to everyone personally, but believe me, your warm congratulations really lifted my spirits during this cold season! Secondly, congratulations to everyone on happy holiday Christmas! Family warmth, comfort and health to you and your household! Take care of each other!
And thirdly, about the meringue recipe...
Before the holidays, I baked a lot of meringues, which, after the photo shoot, I gave to my parents as a New Year's gift. I think that a lot of people know how to bake meringues. In this case, you will not find anything new in my post. But if you still have questions, then...
When whipping meringues, I always use a clean, dry bowl.
I preheat the oven to 120 C in advance. I usually bake meringue from three egg whites (this is exactly the amount of meringue that fits on my baking sheet). For 1 protein I use 50 grams of fine crystalline sugar (I never use powdered sugar). I always take large eggs.
In a mixer, I beat the whites for about 5-10 minutes (beating time depends only on the power of the mixer). The protein mass should become dense and white; if the mixer bowl is turned over your head, the whites should remain at the bottom and should not flow under any circumstances. It is very important not to overbeat the whites, otherwise the meringue will not work. As soon as I see that the protein mass has reached the desired consistency, I begin to add sugar in a thin stream and beat until the sugar dissolves (usually this takes a few more minutes). At this stage I add food coloring.
The protein mass settles quite quickly, so I immediately transfer the mass into a pastry bag and onto a baking sheet covered with pastry paper, using a star attachment, spread the mass in small portions at a distance of about 3-5 cm from each other.
Then I send the oven for 1-1.5 hours. More exact time Baking time depends on the power of the oven and the size of the meringue. The larger the meringue, the longer it will take to bake, but after experimenting a couple of times, you will find the optimal time.
I store the finished meringues in the refrigerator in a plastic container.
Have a nice day, everyone!!!
A festively decorated cake almost always becomes the center of the table, and indeed the entire holiday. They save it for last, serving it to guests at the end of the feast. And not in vain - the hostess puts all her imagination and love into these baked goods.
Decorating a cake can sometimes be difficult: you lack skills, imagination, recipe, tools, or at the last moment it turns out that not everything necessary ingredients purchased, but time is running out. Don't despair. You can decorate the cake using easy-to-prepare and inexpensive cream, which is also called wet meringue. He is protein mass with sugar and flavorings, which can be tinted with various food colors. Unlike regular meringue, you don’t need to bake it in the oven. After preparation, the cream is immediately applied to the cake according to the recipe.
The classic “wet meringue” recipe is very simple to prepare. The technology is similar to the cooking method protein cream.
Ingredients:
- Sugar – 1 glass;
- Cold whites – 4 pieces;
- Citric acid – 0.25 tablespoon;
- Vanilla (or sugar) – 1 packet.
Cooking process:
- Place the whites in the cold in advance. It is best to do this in the evening so that in the morning they are properly cooled and well beaten.
- Separate them from the yolks into a clean container free of moisture and fat.
- Beat very little at first, without achieving a stable foam. The main thing is to give them a uniform consistency. You can even use a regular whisk.
- Add all the sugar, vanilla and acid at once. Stir a little and place the bowl with the mixture in a water bath.
- From the moment the water boils in the lower pan, whisk the mixture vigorously for at least 15 minutes.
- After this, remove the container from the heat. You need to beat the cream for another 3-5 minutes so that it cools. The result should be a fairly dense mass that holds well on the whisk and does not settle.
- 1-2 minutes before the end of whipping, you can color the cream " wet meringue" For this, only food coloring is used. Juices and syrups are not suitable, as they will dilute the consistency of the mass and make it very liquid. Add dyes drop by drop, then beat the mixture for a few seconds, then add more dye if necessary.
- The cream according to the recipe should be stored in the refrigerator.
Subtleties of cooking
Just as there are nuances in the technology of preparing any dish, “wet meringue” cream requires a special approach. This custard protein cream is not very whimsical and capricious if you follow the basic rules of the recipe:
- The whites are separated very neatly. If the yolk breaks and even a drop of it gets into the pan, whipping the cream to a stable foam will not be easy. Drops of water and fat can also spoil the consistency.
- Use only liquid dyes for coloring; dry dyes do not dissolve in cream. You can also tint the mass instant coffee(add half a teaspoon of water to it and stir vigorously) or cocoa powder, which should be brewed in minimum quantity milk.
- Choose a pan for whipping of sufficient volume so that the mixture does not splatter during the process.
- The time spent in the water bath may vary depending on the boiling point of the water in the lower container. Focus on the consistency of the cream. When it begins to thicken, stick to the whisk, become clear big pieces, the cream can and should be removed from the heat.
- In addition to vanilla and dyes, you can add a little to the mass aromatic alcohol– rum, thick liqueur or cognac. Do this at the very last stage, almost one minute before the end of whipping. Do not add alcohol to the cream when it is on fire and very hot.
- Also make sure that the cream does not boil. Don't leave it, whisk constantly. For these purposes, it is best to use a mixer or immersion blender. It is very difficult to beat the mass well with a whisk. The temperature of the cream when steaming should not exceed 70 degrees - the protein may simply curl.
- Before decorating the cake, the mixture should be cooled well. Otherwise, it can melt the coating on which the cream will be applied - chocolate or caramel icing, jam or buttercream.
- Citric acid may not be used in the cream. Its main task according to the recipe is to make the mass less cloying and give it greater strength. So if you are not going to make too ornate decorations and like sweet creams, you don’t need to add acid. Lemon juice can replace it - a few drops will be enough. Be sure to strain it to avoid any lemon seeds.
- Decorations made from cream can be dried in the oven or simply in the air at room temperature. In this case, they will acquire a more crumbly consistency and become a regular, familiar meringue recipe. This option is also convenient if, after decorating the cake, you have unused cream left. You can’t store or freeze it for a long time, but make a few small meringue cakes according to simple recipe– it is possible and very easy.
There is nothing complicated about making “wet meringue”. It turns out almost always; it’s difficult to spoil it if you follow the recipe. Therefore, for many housewives, protein cream has become a real lifesaver.
Decor
“Wet meringue” is a stable cream with a taste and consistency somewhat reminiscent of soft marshmallows. Using a syringe or a bag with a nozzle, it can be given almost any shape.
A few ideas for decorating a homemade wet meringue cake:
- Flowers are the most common design option. Making them using custard protein cream is very simple. Pour cream into a bag, put on a nozzle of a suitable diameter and squeeze it out in a circle in any color. Moreover, you can do it directly on the cake, if you already have experience in decorations of this kind, or separately. You can form a flower on a special “nail” or using improvised means. Then the figurine can be slightly frozen by putting it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. After that, the flower is laid out on the cake.
- Zigzags, waves, stripes. Here, nozzles with teeth, with a star-shaped hole, and grooved are used. You need to decorate immediately on the surface of the cake. For convenience, you can use a rotating cake stand.
- Small balls, flowers, stars. Such voluminous jewelry Making “wet meringue” is very simple. You will also need a syringe with a nozzle or a piping bag. Fill it very tightly, since the mass turns out to be quite porous and voids and air bubbles may appear on the finished decor. The best option is to fill the bag, set it in a vertical position, let it stand for a while, and squeeze the bag a little before decorating.
- Sides. They are formed directly on the cake using a grooved or smooth nozzle. The sides turn out to be voluminous.
- “Wet meringue” inscriptions are rarely done, since it is not easy to achieve a thin line. The cream is quite voluminous, holds its shape well, does not spread, but it is also dense if made in accordance with the recipe. Therefore, from a nozzle with a small diameter, the extrusion may be poor or uneven.
- The cream is also used as a layer, mainly for sponge cakes. It is light, but holds its shape well, and therefore can be applied in a fairly thick layer and not crush cakes baked according to various recipes.
- Leveling the surface of the cake. Apply the cream to the surface and sides only with a dry spoon. Level the surface with a wide, dry knife.
Wet meringue cream is universal for both layering and decorating baked goods. It is pliable to work with, does not spread, dries in the air and becomes strong and stable in the refrigerator. This feature of the cream consistency gives the entire cake strength. After drying, the cream does not crack and retains its original shape if everything is done according to the recipe. In addition, the cream is prepared very quickly and you can decorate the cake with it in just a few minutes.
Bon appetit!
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