Nirvana Palaver

Food Nirvana - peace achieved after a long process of committed application to the path of food perfection.

There aren't many things in the food world that get my feathers ruffled. Baking is a breeze now that my cupboard is constantly stocked with Beer Bread Mixes and Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix. But there is an achilles' heel in my kitchen.

The meringue may seem innocuous enough but believe me, many tears have been shed in search of that perfect light, fluffy, crunchy yet chewy concoction.

So in search of my foodie nirvana I have tackled the miraculous meringue with everything I've got. I've read and researched the expert opinions but honestly, the more I have read the more it reads like folklore and meringue mysticism. I foolishly thought I could create a 'one size fits all recipe' but it has proved elusive apart from a few consistent rules that I will share in due course.

On my ingredient list to test I found myself facing caster sugar vs. icing sugar vs. brown sugar and then salt, vinegar, lemon juice, corn flour and cream of tartar. Fascinating stuff - especially when you see the before and after photos of my meringue creations...

 

Clockwise from top - with cream of tartar, with corn flour, with lemon juice and the control. I'd like to say I intentionally induced a flat-as-a-pancake result with the control but it was a complete fluke - think I added the sugar too quickly :-)

And after...

In a nutshell, the cream of tartar definitely gave a chewier and firmer texture; the corn flour gave more structure and did not collapse as much as the lemon juice which had a good foam and a soft, chewy mallow-like finish. And the less said about the control the better. So from this, my golden rules for meringue nirvana....

RULES

For every large egg white allow 50g caster sugar + 1tbsp icing sugar.
Egg whites must be at room temperature.
School girl (or boy) error I know but the bowl and whisking equipment must be spotlessly clean.
Humidity is not your friend, have air tight containers standing by for meringue storage and this is definitely not rainy day cooking plus be aware of the moisture that your added flavourings may add to the meringue foam.
Oven temp - in my fan oven the best non-colouration was with 100C for 1 hour and then turn the oven off for another hour.
Leave space on the baking tray for the meringue to spread and always ALWAYS grease your baking parchment with plain vegetable oil.
Do not add the sugar too soon to the whisked egg whites and add slowly a tablespoon at a time and then whisk in the icing sugar.

Ultimately, be clear about what you are wanting to achieve in the final result, which from round one, I have summarised as thus..

1. The Meringue Roulade - a flat sheet of meringue that must be soft and pliable enough to fill and roll (when cold).
SOLUTION - add a dash of lemon juice after the initial whisking, before adding the sugar

2. The Meringue Sandwich - mounds of meringue, chewy but firm sandwiched together with cream, ganache etc.
SOLUTION - add 1 heaped tsp of cream of tartar to the sugar for every 4 egg whites

3. The Meringue Nest - a firm foam that can be piped in concentric circles to form a nest, pavlova base or piped onto the top of tarts and pies.
SOLUTION - add a dash of lemon juice plus 1 heaped tsp corn flour for every 4 egg whites

4. The Meringue Layer Cake - quick to cook thin rounds of meringue that can be layered up into a gateaux, light airy and melt in the mouth, also good for mini meringues.
SOLUTION - add 1 heaped tsp of corn flour along with the sugar for every 4 egg whites

My quest is not over. At the very least whilst you wait, I implore you to reject supermarket versions of these tempting treats especially when they are almost too perfectly white, with a chalky texture and a headache inducing sweetness. But now the fun can really begin - to decide on the combination of flavours and amazing My Secret Kitchen products to add to really blow these meringues out of the park....the list is endless and do share with us your own ideas; here are mine so far....

Maple Caramel & Pecan Roulade (courtesy of our consultant Susie Medcalf) - using Maple Caramel Sauce
Toffee Chocolate Meringue Kisses - using Toffee Hot Chocolate Mix
St Clements Meringue Layer Cake - using St Clements Cardamom Curd
Raspberry & White Chocolate Meringue Sandwiches - using Chocaberry Cheese Ball Mix
Tropical Mango Mojito Meringue Nests - using Mango Mojito Dessert Sauce
Chocolate & Fig Roulade - using Fig Pudding Pickle
Hibiscus & Rose Pavlova - using Hibiscus & Rose Nectar

To be continued.......


Clare
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If all else fails - Eton Mess is a legitimate solution to any meringue related culinary disaster