Meringue Eggs Food

MERINGUE EGGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Using a 1 1/2-by-2-inch oval-shaped cutter, trace 12 oval shapes on each of two sheets of parchment paper with a pencil. Transfer parchment paper, pencil side down, to two baking sheets; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt together until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla; mix until meringue is just combined.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round pastry tip. Pipe a dollop of meringue in the center of each oval on parchment paper. Pipe meringue around dollop twice, creating a well to hold filling. Repeat process until all eggs are created.
• Transfer to oven and bake until meringue lifts off parchment paper easily, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Fill cooled meringue eggs with orange curd; serve.

BASIC MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until sugar is dissolved and stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Spread over hot pie filling in decorative swirls.
• Bake pie in preheated 425°F (220°C) oven until tips of meringue are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Makes topping for a 9-inch (23 cm) pie.

MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer); beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium high; beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, then add the extract or zest. Continue beating until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
• For colored cookies, swirl a few drops of food coloring into the meringue or use a small paintbrush to paint 3 long stripes of food coloring up the inside of a pastry bag. For chocolate chip versions, gently fold the mini chocolate chips into the mixture.
• Drop or pipe the meringue as desired, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the meringues stand in the oven until dry, about 2 hours. Top with or dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with nonpareils.

ULTIMATE MERINGUE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼.
• Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
• Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
• Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
• Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy.
• Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape. Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer.
• Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
• Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.

MERINGUE "EGGS" WITH PISTACHIO CUSTARD AND CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Make pistachio cream: Finely grind pistachios with 1 cup superfine sugar in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup milk and puree to a thick paste and transfer to a bowl.
• Make "eggs": Whisk together 2 tablespoons superfine sugar and remaining milk in a deep skillet and bring to a bare simmer (milk should steam but not bubble). While milk is heating, beat egg whites in a mixer fitted with the whisk on high speed until they hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in remaining superfine sugar until meringue holds stiff peaks.
• Using a large oval-shaped spoon, form 8 meringue "eggs" gently dropping them as formed into the simmering milk mixture. Keep the milk at a low simmer. Poach the meringues until set on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then carefully turn over and poach until set throughout, about 2 minutes more. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plastic-wrap-lined baking pan and refrigerate until ready to serve. Repeat with remaining meringue to make 8 more eggs.
• Make custard: Whisk together the 8 yolks with the pistachio cream and almond extract. Slowly add 1 cup of poaching liquid to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk mixture into the poaching liquid. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly until it's the thickness of heavy cream, about 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Do not overcook.
• Assemble dessert: Melt chocolate in a small metal bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring constantly, until smooth or melt in microwave.
• Pour custard into 8 shallow bowls or rimmed plates and arrange meringues on top. Drizzle chocolate over meringues and custard.

GOOD MERINGUE

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture forms stiff peaks.

MERINGUE FROM POWDERED EGG WHITE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Blend 1/4 cup sugar and egg white powder in a mixer bowl.
• Add water and mix on low-medium speed 3-5 minutes until smooth.
• Scrape bowl.
• Beat on high speed, gradually adding remaining sugar and vanilla.
• Scrape bowl.
• Beat until meringue is stiff but not dry. Spread over hot pie filling; seal to edges of crust.
• Bake about 10 minutes until meringue is browned.

EGG IN CHEESE MERINGUE NEST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet that can take high temperatures without warping, with parchment paper or Silpat.
• Separate the egg yolks from the whites. It helps if you are making more than one egg nest to keep each egg yolk in a separate prep bowl.
• Place the egg whites in a very clean mixer bowl and add the salt. Beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment in a mixer (or using a hand mixer), starting on low speed and then slowly increasing to high speed, until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold in the grated Gruyere cheese, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.
• Create two mounds of the egg white mixture on the lined baking sheet. Form the mounds so they look like nests, with indentations in the centers.
• Place in the oven for 3 minutes.
• After 3 minutes, open the oven, pull out the rack with the egg white nests, and gently add an egg yolk to the center of each nest.
• Return the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Serve immediately.