JUST WHIP IT
TRY MAKING THESE MERINGUES FROM BAKER EXTRAORDINAIRE NATALIE PAULL AND YOU’LL FIND THEY’RE ALL THEY’RE CRACKED UP TO BE
These glorious meringue mounds are made simply by heating the egg whites and sugar together and then … whip it. The warmth in the meringue mix diminishes the risk of collapse, making it close to foolproof (humidity being the only troublemaker). These have a crisp exterior while the centre remains marshmallowy soft, and the brown sugar added at the end rounds out the flavour with mellow caramel tones. Make these after a heavy egg-yolk baking session or start an “egg white bank” in the freezer. Egg whites freeze extraordinarily well so you can stockpile, then thaw them and whip away.
HEAT AND WHIP MERINGUES
Makes: 8 to 10 individual meringues or 1 pavlova (8 big slices)
INGREDIENTS
Cooking oil spray
210g egg white (from approx 7 eggs) 300g caster sugar
125g light muscovado (or soft brown) sugar 10g (1 tsp) vanilla paste
2g (1/4 tsp) fine sea salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 170C. Spray a 30cm × 40cm baking tray with cooking oil spray and line with baking paper. Choose a saucepan that will allow you to nestle the stand mixer bowl on top, without it touching the water below. Fill the pan with 5cm of water and bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Put the egg whites and caster sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water and gently whisk – just enough to keep it moving; you don’t want to add air at this point. It should take 5–8 minutes for it to get hot. Test this by putting your finger into the mix – if you register an “ooh that’s hot” reaction (or about 70C), it’s ready. Watch the mix like a hawk. You don’t want it to cook to sweet scrambled egg whites. Remove the bowl from the pan and place it on the stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip on speed 8 (under high) for 2 minutes until the mix looks like glossy-white whipped cream. Stop the mixer and add the brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Continue to whip for a further 2–5 minutes until the mix is marshmallowy thick and a pale, malty brown colour. Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape the meringue off the whisk. Using your hand or a metal spoon, scoop up about 1/2 cup of meringue, then push it off your hand or the spoon on to the prepared tray. I like a tall spiky meringue, so I hold the spoon perpendicular to the tray and push it off. Repeat using all the meringue. Place the tray in the oven and immediately drop the temperature to 90C (or, for older models, as low as your oven can go) and bake for 1 hour. Leave the meringues to cool in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour, or preferably overnight.