Chewy meringues

[Lochina]

How do you bake a meringue cookie that is nice and chewy, as opposed to dry and chalky?

Thanks!

[binkyboots]

wow, I've been trying to make chewy meringues for ages... the closest I've come is a marshmallowey texture, by adding some cornflour and vinegar to the mix just at the end of whipping.

it's good, but not exactly what I was aiming for, I like a dry exterior then a really chewy but not soft interior.

[Ling]

I've heard about the cornstarch addition as well.

[aidensnd2]

I don't have a recipe in front of me but I will try to remember and post one when I get home but what I recall from the last time I made them was to use powdered sugar instead of granulated and then fold more powdered in at the very end. Crisp on the outside, chewy in the middle.

[cathrynapple]

my exposure to meringues has bought me to the belief that they should be crispy and tender? not hard or chewy?

i put a bit of white vinegar in to make them more dry. i ONLY make plain ones, though.

[jackal10]

Vinegar (1 tsp per 4 egg whites)

[pam claughton]

Don't cook them as long. It's really that simple!

I discovered this by accident, when we had a batch that was taken out too soon, but we liked the result, so did it again. It has been awhile though, so I don't recall how long we cooked them for, but you could probably play around with it.

:) Pam

Edited May 2, 2005 by pam claughton (log)

[sugarbuzz]

I have a recipe of what you're looking for..not on me at the moment. But I used to make these giant meringues at Bittersweet in Chicago. The secret is powdered sugar & the meringue is beaten until you get that really nice glossy shine to it & beaten to very stiff peak. I added a bit of vanilla or some flavored fruit paste..mango,passionfruit..etc. You then fold in some sifted powdered sugar. I would then take an ice cream scoop & scoop three on top of each other & then fluff it out with a fork for that spikey effect. They would then get left in the oven overnight. This was always the last thing I did before I went home. They were crispy on the outside & almost cotton candy soft on the inside. I can post the recipe tomorrow if anyone would care for it.

[Patricia Austin]

I have a recipe of what you're looking for..not on me at the moment. But I used to make these giant meringues at Bittersweet in Chicago. The secret is powdered sugar & the meringue is beaten until you get that really nice glossy shine to it & beaten to very stiff peak. I added a bit of vanilla or some flavored fruit paste..mango,passionfruit..etc. You then fold in some sifted powdered sugar. I would then take an ice cream scoop & scoop three on top of each other & then fluff it out with a fork for that spikey effect. They would then get left in the oven overnight. This was always the last thing I did before I went home. They were crispy on the outside & almost cotton candy soft on the inside. I can post the recipe tomorrow if anyone would care for it.

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Hi Sugarbuzz,

Just checking in with this thread, and yes, I certainly would love to try the recipe. I've recently been wanting a recipe for large, spiky meringues and your recipe sounds like it might be what I'm looking for.

Thanks so much. Patricia

[sugarbuzz]

Ok..I finally found it. This makes a small batch but you can double or triple if you'd like. I would use up to 3# of whites when I made these. Any more and you risk the meringue deflating a bit while you are scooping them out. I would pop the trays in the freezer while I did the others & I've left them in the freezer up to an hour before popping them in the oven & they always turned out fine.

2c. Whites

2c. Granulated Sugar

4c. Powdered Sugar

1Tbl. Vanilla

Beat whites,vanilla & sugar until stiff peak & very shiny. Gradually fold in the powdered sugar. Using any size scoop(depends on how big or small you want them), scoop 3 scoops on top of each other. Spike with a fork or you can leave them as is. Leave in oven overnight. Make sure the oven has been on at some point before you bake them. You want some heat retained in the oven but nothing over 150 degrees.

For some flavor you can add 1c. toasted & ground almonds or other nut when folding in the sugar. Or some concentrated fruit paste. I can't remember the name of what we used to get but it was from France. Or just add some flavored oil instead of vanilla.

I hope they turn out ok. I found leaving them in the oven always worked for me..but feel free to see what happens when you bake them.

[Patricia Austin]

or just add some flavored oil instead of vanilla. 

Sugarbuzz,

Is this what you meant to say?

I would not add oil to meringue because it will deflate the whites.

Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Patricia

[joeyk2k]

Haven't made them in a while but used to all the time.

Recipe -

5 egg whites

250g sugar

1 tsp cornflour dissolved in enough white wine vinegar needed

Method - Whisk whites, add sugar (slowly), Whisk to stiff peaks, whisk in cornflour & vinegar. Quenelle or pipe onto oiled silicon mats. Bake in oven at 120 degreess centigrade for about 1 hour and a half. Check to see if they are set if they are turn off oven and leave to cool in there. If they start to brown turn the oven down.

[sugarbuzz]

no I did not mean oil..sorry. I meant extract.

[Patrick S]

You can add some fat to meringue without totally deflating it, so long as you start with a very stiff meringue and mix the fat in just till combined. For instance, The Cake Bible has a recipe for Chocolate Italian Meringue that includes a couple of ounces of melted unsweetened chocolate mixed in at the end. It holds its shape pretty well when you pipe it, and is chewy and delicious too.

Edited May 9, 2005 by Patrick S (log)

[Patrick S]

Here's a pic of some cookies made with that chocolate Italian meringue I mentioned. They're not the prettiest --they get kind of bumpy when they cook -- but the are most definitely chewy. Lochina, if you're still looking for a recipe, you should definitely give these a try. Sandwich a couple together with some ganache or Nutella, and you're all set.

[TarteTatin]

Hubby makes lavender meringues.

Delicious.

(From an extract bought in Provence)