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Meringue Mise en Place
Meringue Chemistry
The real science behind the sweet magic
Agitating egg whites (i.e., vigorously whisking them)
unfolds proteins and incorporates air. The unfolded
proteins break up into two groups, those that are
attracted to air and those that are attracted to water.
This forms a network of suspended air bubbles and
water—basically, a foam. To chemistry whizzes, this
makes sense. To the rest of us, our eyes just glaze
over. So, imagine an unopened packet of balloons. It’s
compact and probably takes up the same amount of
space as a deck of cards. Then you open the packet
(unfold the proteins), blow up the balloons (incorporate
air), and throw a net over all the inflated balloons
(proteins bonding to creating a meshwork of liquid and
air) so you’ve created a voluminous but contained net
of air. On a microscopic scale, this is what is happening
when you whip your meringue.
USE YOUR YOLKS
Save those leftover egg yolks! In this issue, we have four pudding cakes (see page 59), each with its own luxurious pudding filling
that gets a creamy boost from egg yolks. For the resourceful baker, plan to make meringue for one day and a pudding cake on
another. Zero egg waste equals 100% baker satisfaction.
35 bake from scratch
How to prep for meringue perfection
SCALE: With meringue, the volume
measurement is more important to
consider than the number of eggs. You
want to make sure you have ½ cup
(120 grams) egg whites—that’s roughly
4 large egg whites. Yet bakers often
find 4 egg whites don’t exactly give
½ cup. Instead, use your scale to
properly gauge the amount so you
don’t end up with more or less than
you need.
EGG WHITES: Separate your eggs while they’re still cold, as room
temperature eggs are much runnier. Make sure you separate using
the cracked shell halves or with an egg separating tool. If you use your
hands, you risk contaminating the fatless egg whites with oil, limiting
their ability to whip up. Allow these egg whites to come to room
temperature because room temperature egg whites whip better and are
less likely to be curdled by hot syrup (for the Italian meringue) or when
being heated over a double boiler (for the Swiss meringue).
OTHER INGREDIENTS: As noted, very few ingredients are needed
to make a lovely meringue. But there are a few secret ingredients that
ensure success and flavor. Vanilla and salt bump up the flavor quota.
Cream of tartar is our meringue insurance policy, as the acidic powder
helps block sulfur bonds in the egg whites, keeping the meringue smooth.
Finally, sugar. For two of our recipes (Italian Meringue Kisses and Swiss
Meringue Kisses), extra-fine granulated sugar works best, as the sugar is
fine enough to be quickly heated and melted before being whipped into
meringue. For the French Meringue Kisses, we prefer castor sugar, as
regular granulated sugar’s larger grain keeps it from fully dissolving into
the egg whites, leading to gritty meringue. If you have trouble locating
extra-fine granulated sugar or castor sugar, you can make your own
extra-fine granulated sugar. (See PRO TIP on page 40.)
TOOLS: From the mixing bowl to the whisk attachment, make sure
your tools are scrupulously clean. A stray butter smear or bead of
oil can inhibit your meringue from reaching its lofty potential for
maximum fluff. While copper utensils are a tried-and-true meringue
booster, a metal mixing bowl works just as well thanks to our cream of
tartar insurance.