Meringues can be more of a science to be perfected than a relaxed craft, with the result seemingly changing every time you make them. This can be frustrating, but Diana from PaintSewGlueChew claims to have perfected the chewy meringue.
She says chewiness is created by cooking the meringues at a slightly higher temperature for a shorter time, thereby keeping some of the moisture inside. Crack four eggs, separating the whites and yolks. It’s recommended to use very fresh eggs – the yolks will be firmer, making them much easier to separate. Pop the whites into a very clean bowl. Bowls and mixers should be washed in hot, soapy water and dried with a clean towel before starting, as any amount of grease will affect the egg whites.
Start to whisk on a low setting, building up until the whites are foamy and create stiff peaks. There should be no runny egg liquid at the bottom so keep whisking until this is all gone. Using an electric whisk can save you some elbow pain here.
You’ll know you have “stiff peaks” when you lift the mixer and the egg whites create a peak that stays upright. Be sure not to whisk past this point or the eggs will collapse and be watery.
Next, add 110g of caster sugar. Add the sugar slowly while whisking on a high-speed, allowing it to dissolve into the eggs a little at a time. Sugar not being dissolved can lead to ‘weeping’ in the oven.
Once all the caster sugar has been incorporated, spoon in 110g of icing sugar and fold in until fully incorporated. The mixture should be thick, smooth and glossy.
Spoon the meringue into mounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment or greaseproof paper. Then, put them into an oven preheated to 150C. As soon as they’re in, reduce the temperature to 140C.
After an hour, turn the oven off but leave the meringues inside while the oven cools for at least an hour – overnight is perfect. Once cool, peel off the parchment and enjoy!
