Your Guide to Perfect Homemade Meringue: Fancy Desserts to Make

The meringue is a fluffy dessert topping used over pies, cookies or cakes, but can just as easily be seen as a standalone treat. Although making it can be a bit tricky, with the right techniques and tips you can achieve light and airy meringues. So follow this guide to make the perfect meringue, irrespective of whether you're a beginner or an experienced baker.

Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need to make meringue:

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 100 gm granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

And here’s the equipment you’ll need to make the meringue:

• Clean, dry mixing bowl
• Electric mixer or stand mixer
• Whisk attachment or beaters
• Rubber spatula
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
• Baking sheet

To make it, the first step is to ensure your mixing bowl and beaters are clean and dry, since any grease or moisture will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly. So wipe them down first, using a bit of vinegar or lemon juice, to ensure they’re completely clean.

Now that your equipment is ready, you have to carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks. Be sure that there are no yolk in the whites, since even a little bit of yolk will prevent the whites from whipping properly. If you’re not confident in your separation skills, you can use an egg separator. But if you're doing it by hand, simply crack the egg and pass the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell, and eventually let the whites drip into the bowl.

Now that you have your egg whites separated, put them in the clean, dry bowl. Then add the cream of tartar, which lets the egg whites stabilize and leads to a fluffy texture. Then use an electric mixture or stand mixer to whisk the ingredients, whipping on medium speed until they become frothy.

With the mixer still running, slowly add the granulated sugar, one spoon at a time, until all the sugar is in. let the mixture continue whipping on medium speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. It can take several minutes for the ingredients to reach this consistency so give it time.

Once the desired consistency is achieved, it's time to mix in any flavors that you desire. This can be a simple vanilla extract, lemon, chocolate or any other flavor of your choice. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flavor in. Don't mix and don't create circular or 8-shape motions. Just gently fold it in until the flavor is well incorporated. You can skip this step if you do not wish to add any flavors.

Then transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip, if you want to pipe out a specific shape. Or, you can take a spoonful and place the dollop on your dessert or baking sheet.

Now, bake the meringue at 107 degrees celsius. If you're using the meringue as topping on another dessert, bake for about 1.5 hours. And if you're just making meringue cookies, one hour of baking is enough. Also keep an eye since every oven is slightly different. Essentially, you want a firm and dry cookie. Before serving, allow the meringue to cool completely. Then serve either as is with a topping of chocolate sauce or some other sauce, or use the meringue as a topping for pies, cakes or other desserts.

Quick tips and tricks to keep in mind:

• For best results and a fluffy texture, use eggs that are fresh and room temperature. If you store your eggs in the fridge, let them sit out for a few hours until they reach room temperature, and then start the whipping.
• Do not overwhip, since this can cause the meringue to become grainy in texture. Keep a sharp eye on the meringue and you’ll know when to stop.
• Add the sugar gradually, one spoon at a time, instead of dumping it all in in one go. Putting it bit by bit ensures the egg whites stay stable and leads to a smooth, glossy finish for your meringue.
• Store leftover meringue in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.