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Homemade meringues
Photo: Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

Pastry · Recipe No. 1039

Meringue - Basic recipe

Meringue - Basic recipe made with caster sugar, egg white and vanilla essence. The recipe serves 8; change the portions and units below and the amounts update.

  • Serves 8

Method

  1. Beat egg whites with a whish until stiff.

  2. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar.

  3. Continue beating until the mixture is white and glossy.

  4. Fold in the remaining sugar with a spatula a few spoons at a time.

  5. Fold in Vanilla essence with last of the sugar and continue folding until the meringue forms long peaks.

  6. This meringue can be baked at gas 1/2/120ºC/ 250ºF for 1 hour.

  7. Pipe into 3in/.5cm mounds on a greased and floured baking sheet.

  8. If you want to use a cream filling, turn them over and crack the base - continue cooking until dry.

Tip: tap a step to tick it off as you cook.

Chef’s notes

  • Do not over mix at stage 5 as the meringue with loose Volume.
  • This meringue can be baked at gas 1/2/120ºC/ 250ºF for 1 hour, used as a topping for lemon meringue pie mixed with almonds or hazelnuts to make cakes or used on a Baked Alaska!
  • Some recipes add.25 teaspoon of cream of tartar to eggs.

Shopping list for 8 portions

Dairy & eggs

Baking

Store cupboard (check you have)

Converted from the Cookeryonline Excel workbook “Basic Meringue” and the original recipe card.