Italian Meringue Drops Recipes

ITALIAN MERINGUE DROPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Bring sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until syrup registers 238 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Raise speed to medium-high. Beat until stiff (but not dry) peaks form.
• With mixer running, slowly pour in hot sugar syrup. Raise speed to high. Beat until cooled, about 10 minutes. Place one-third of meringue in each of 2 bowls. Fold vanilla into 1 bowl. Fold 3 tablespoons coffee extract into other bowl. Sift cocoa over the mixer bowl; add chocolate extract and remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons coffee extract, and beat on high speed until combined.
• Transfer each batch to a separate pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1-inch drops onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing about 3/4 inch apart. Bake until hard to the touch but not browned, 5 hours or overnight. Transfer meringues to wire racks; let cool completely. Meringues can be stored in airtight containers up to 1 week.
• Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in oil. Dip bottoms of meringues in melted chocolate; transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper to set, about 1 hour.

BASIC ITALIAN MERINGUE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat, stirring only until it comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring. Cook until sugar syrup registers 240°F (115°C) on an instant-read or candy thermometer. Brush down sides of pot as necessary with a pastry brush dipped in water.
• Meanwhile, combine egg whites and cream of tartar or lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (see note). Set mixer to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form (when lifted, the head of the mixer should form gentle peaks in the egg whites that very slowly collapse back into themselves), about 2 minutes.
• With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. (Hot sugar is just as dangerous as fryer oil, so use caution!) Increase speed to high and whip until desired stiffness is achieved. Soft peaks are often used to aerate mousses, for example, while a stiff peak is best for buttercream.

MERINGUE DROPS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line baking sheets with parchment., Preheat oven to 200°. Add vanilla, cream of tartar and if desired food coloring to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form., Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert pastry tip. Fill bag with meringue. Pipe 2-in. circles or shapes 2 in. apart onto prepared baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with pearl sugar. , Bake 20-25 minutes or until set and dry. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven until oven has completely cooled. Store in an airtight container.

ITALIAN MERINGUE

Steps:

• In a small pot over low heat, combine sugar and water. Swirl the pot over the burner to dissolve the sugar completely. Do not stir. Increase the heat and boil to soft-ball stage (235 to 240 degrees). Use a candy thermometer for accuracy. Wash down the inside wall of the pot with a wet pastry brush. This will help prevent sugar crystals from forming around the sides, falling in and causing a chain reaction. Prepare your meringue.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form.
• With the mixer running, pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over fluffed egg whites. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Spread the meringue over a hot cake or pie, and bake as directed.
• For Meringue Cloud Cookies: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Dollop spoonfuls of meringue onto baking pans, alternatively you may use a pastry bag with a star tip. Bake for 2 hours until crisp. Turn off the oven and allow meringues to cool and completely dry out.

ITALIAN MERINGUE (MAGNIFICENT PIE MERINGUE)

Steps:

• Place a shelf in the middle of the oven. Place a baking stone on it and preheat oven to 375°F/191°C.
• In a small saucepan, heat the cornstarch and ⅓ cup (79 ml) cool water over medium heat, stirring steadily with a whisk until thick and cloudy. Reserve until needed.
• Read Egg-White Foams and Meringues At a Glance (see below). Follow precautions - scrupulously clean bowl and beater.
• In a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form when the beater is lifted. Add in ¼ cup (1.8 oz/50 g) sugar and continue to beat.
• In a heavy unlined saucepan, stir together remaining 1¾ cups (12.3 oz/347 g) of the sugar, the corn syrup, and ½ cup (118 ml) water. Bring to a boil, rinse down the sides of the pan with the water on a pastry brush. Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan, and continue to boil the syrup until it reaches 248°F/120°C (hard-ball stage).
• Continue beating whites until stiff peaks form. Ideally, have the whites stiff when the syrup reaches 248°F/120°C. Rinse a 2-cup (473 ml) heatproof glass measuring cup with a spout with the hottest tap water and dry well. When the syrup reaches 248°F/120°C, carefully pour the syrup into the cup. Drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the meringue while beating on medium speed. Try to avoid drizzling the syrup on the beaters or the sides of the bowl. The meringue will swell dramatically and fill the whole bowl. Beat until the meringue has cooled, about 10 to 13 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt, then beat in about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the reserved cornstarch paste, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time. The meringue is essentially cooked but it is still snow white. It is the perfect palette for a masterpiece.
• Spread the meringue on the pie. Place the pie in the middle of the oven and bake for about 10 minutes - just until the ridges are brown - then remove from the oven and touch up with a blowtorch as desired. (I think that you have to be very experienced to brown a meringue with a blowtorch alone. It is easier to bake just until you start getting color on the ridges, then pull out of the oven and touch up with the blowtorch.)
• Egg-White Foams and Meringues At a Glance
• What to do? Use scrupulously clean bowl and beaters for egg whites. Use fresh egg whites. Why? Any oil or grease will wreck an egg-white foam.
• What to do? Use room-temperature eggs. Why? Warmer eggs are easier to separate. The length of time it takes to beat egg whites is inversely related to how cold the whites are. The colder the whites, the longer the beating time.
• What to do? Separate the eggs using the three-bowl method. Why? Even a trace of egg yolk will deflate an egg-white foam.
• What to do? Use a copper bowl or add ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar per egg white. Why? To get a more stable foam that will hold up better in cooking.
• What to do? For meringues, add the sugar when soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Be sure to add sugar then-do not wait until too late. Why? Adding sugar too early reduces the volume and increases beating time. If you wait too late to add sugar, meringue can dry out and will not expand.
• What to do? Do not overbeat egg whites. Beat them only until they are still moist and slip a little in the bowl. Why? Overbeaten egg-white foams become dry and rigid and will not expand in a hot oven.
• What to do? Stir tapioca starch into the sugar or make a cornstarch paste and beat in the paste after adding the sugar. Why? Starch prevents the meringue's shrinking when baked and prevents tearing when the meringue is cut.

BASIC ITALIAN MERINGUE

Steps:

• Bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook, undisturbed, until syrup registers 248 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, whisk whites with a mixer on low speed until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar. Increase speed to medium, and whisk until soft peaks form, about 8 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low, and pour hot syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Increase speed to high, and beat until mixture stops steaming, about 3 minutes. Use immediately.

MERINGUE DROPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150° F, or the lowest setting possible. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg white in a small bowl with a wire whisk until foamy. As you continue beating, add the sugar gradually, until the meringue holds stiff and glossy peaks when the whisk is lifted from them. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto the prepared baking sheet to form 3/4-inch rounds. (If you don't have a pastry bag, drop the beaten whites by the slightly rounded teaspoonful, keeping the little mounds as high as possible.) Bake until the meringues are completely dry and very light, about 2 1/2 hours. Cool completely.
• Pour the cream into a small, chilled bowl. Beat with a wire whisk or an electric mixer until the cream holds stiff peaks. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the whipped cream onto the flat side of one of the meringues. Press the flat side of a second meringue gently onto the cream to make a meringue sandwich. Repeat with the remaining meringues and cream. Chill the meringue drops on a serving plate in the refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

ITALIAN MERINGUE

Steps:

• Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire whisk attached. Make sure the bowl is dry and clean.
• In a small saucepan with a candy thermometer attached, heat the sugar and water to 210º.
• Turn on the stand mixer to speed 3 (medium low) and start whipping the egg whites.
• When the egg whites are almost at soft peaks, add the pinch of salt.
• Continue to heat the sugar and water to 240º - this is soft ball stage.
• With the mixer STILL ON, carefully pour the hot sugar liquid into the beating egg whites. GO SLOW and be consistent - a slow steady stream.
• After all of the sugar mixture is added, increase the speed of the mixer to about 4 (medium high) and beat until the bowl is cool to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 10 minute.
• Scrape the meringue onto the pie or pies quickly. Once the meringue sets up, it becomes hard to work with. If this happens, just put it back into the mixer and whip until stiff peaks form again.