French Meringue Meringue Kisses Recipes

AUTHENTIC FRENCH MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Butter and flour a baking sheet.
• In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy using an electric mixer. Sprinkle in sugar a little at a time, while continuing to whip at medium speed. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny like satin, stop mixing, and transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheet using a large round tip or star tip.
• Place the meringues in the oven and place a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it from closing all the way. Bake for 3 hours, or until the meringues are dry, and can easily be removed from the pan. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.

MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat egg whites until foamy. Sprinkle with cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until stiff peaks form, about 5-8 minutes. If desired, divide batter in half and fold in red and green food coloring. , Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 1-1/2-in. apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie and cover it with meringue, using a knife. , Bake at 275° for 30-35 minutes or until firm to the touch. Immediately remove to a wire rack to cool. If desired, sprinkle with cocoa. Store in an airtight container.

FRENCH MERINGUE (MERINGUE KISSES)

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oven according to the recipe in question. 2. Make sure that the egg whites are room temperature and put them in a bowl. Add the texture improving sour ingredient in this point (if desired). Whisk them until the foam starts to slightly hold its form but is not yet fully stiff.
• 1. Keep whisking and add the sugar in patiently slow. The trick is to give the crystals time to dissolve into the whites. Superfine sugar does so faster but the regular granulated one may also be used. 2. When the meringue is ready the crystals should no longer be felt between the fingers.
• 1. Add the food coloring if desired as well as the flavoring which can be powder, extract or oil. 2. Bake the French meringue at once - it loses its good texture when it's allowed to sit.
• Crispy and light meringues (Meringue kisses): This recipe also depends on the oven and the weather: the more humid it is, the longer it's recommended to keep them in oven - the crispy meringues may rehydrate as sticky otherwise. With a few tries you'll know what works for you the best. 1. Heat the oven to 80-90°C. 2. Pipe the meringue into beautiful, small cookie sized patterns over the baking sheet lined with baking paper. 3. Bake the meringues in the middle of the oven for an hour or two. 4. Turn the heat off without opening the oven. Leave the meringues there for another hour or two (or even overnight) while the oven cools down slowly.
• Soft and sticky meringues: 1. Heat the oven to 150°C. 2. Pipe the meringue into medium cookie sized blobs over the baking sheet lined with baking paper or use two spoons. 3. Bake the meringues in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. 4. Turn the heat off without opening the oven. Leave the meringues there for another hour or two while the oven cools down slowly. 5. Take the slightly browned meringues off the baking paper and lay them on the rack to cool. The inside should be marshmallowy soft and chewy.
• Basic things to know about meringue making: - While making meringue the egg whites should be fresh and room temperature which improves their elasticity. The tools should be as clean as possible, especially out of fat. A quick wipe with a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar may help. - While separating the eggs the whites should have zero egg yolk; besides fat it also prevents the fluffiness. Sometimes you may get an egg in which the yolk breaks easily and so it's recommendable to separate each egg in a separate bowl, one at a time. - Adding a small amount of sour ingredient before whisking such as a pinch of cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar helps in reaching the more stable texture. It's voluntary and barely affects the taste. Avoid adding salt too early. - Do not pipe the meringues too closely for the oven, they need air even if they don't grow in size. - You may also dab a small amount of meringue between the corners of baking sheet and baking paper to make the work easier.

MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. In a small bowl, mix both sugars together. In another small bowl, mix the jam with enough food colouring to create a vibrant red colour.
• In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer. Add about a third of the sugar, whipping for 1 min or so, until stiff and glossy. Gradually add the remaining sugar until you have a glossy meringue that holds stiff peaks.
• Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/ gas 1/2. Turn your pastry bag inside out and, using a spoon, paint three lines of coloured jam from the top to almost the end of the bag. Fill with the meringue mix and twist the end to close.
• Holding the bag vertically over the tray, apply enough pressure to create a base, then quickly draw the bag upwards to create little points. The jam will give the meringues a stripy pattern as they pass through the bag.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hr or until the meringues sound hollow when you lift one and tap the base - they should have a crunchy shell and not be too chewy. Leave to cool in the oven with the door closed, then store in a plastic food bag or airtight container until ready to use.