If you have never had meringue, you are truly missing out on one of the most delicious culinary inventions of all time. Meringues are egg-based confections made by stiffly beating egg whites with sugar. They are simple to make once you know the correct technique. You know you have made the perfect meringue when it is crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. All you need is to bake it at a low temperature for all the water to evaporate, leaving behind crunchy cookies that almost taste like toasted marshmallows.
Meringue sandwich recipe
In this recipe, you will learn how to make a meringue cookie sandwich. Since these remain pristine white even after baking, they are like blank canvases that can be painted as you like by adding colours and fillings of your choice. You can make a coloured version of the meringue with a creamy, buttery chocolate ganache filling.
Recipe guide
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Baking time - 2 hours
Serves - 8
Ingredients
Meringue cookies
2 egg whites
70 gms superfine sugar
1/4 tsp lemon juice or cream of tartar
Food colouring (colours of your choice)
2 tbsp crushed pistachios for sprinkling (optional)
Butter ganache filling
50 gms unsalted butter
100 gms dark chocolate ganache
Method
Preheat the oven to 90°C. Take the egg whites in a clean bowl and start whisking them at low speed for about 5 minutes using an electric whisk.
Add the lemon juice and about one tablespoon of sugar while quickly whisking the egg whites.
Gradually add the remaining sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while beating the egg whites until all the sugar is fully incorporated. The meringue should be glossy at this point and form stiff peaks.
Mix one teaspoon of meringue, each, in three bowls, with any three colours of your choice. Mix well to have three different coloured meringues. You can skip this step completely, if you don't want coloured cookies.
Prepare a piping bag with a big star nozzle and place it in a tall glass. Fill in the meringue. If using colour, alternate between white and coloured strips.
Pipe 1.5 to 2 inch rosettes on a lined baking tray. Keep at least a 2-inch gap between them.
Place them in the oven for about 2 hours. Rotate the tray after an hour for even baking.
To make a chocolate ganache, mix two parts of chocolate and one part of cream, melt them, and stir them until they are well blended.
While the meringue bakes, prepare the frosting by mixing the butter and ganache and let it set in the fridge until the meringue cools down.
Once completely cooled, remove the cookies from the tray and apply a small amount of frosting in the centre. Place another cookie on top of the frosting. Press gently and evenly.
Meringue sandwiches are ready to serve.
Tips
1. Ensure the bowl and whisk are completely clean. Any residue will affect the process.
2. There should be no trace of yolks in the white. So, crack the eggs one at a time and in separate bowls. This way, even if the yolk of one egg breaks, it won’t ruin all the egg whites.
3. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and let it whisk for at least 10 seconds before adding more.
4. Never under or overbeat the egg whites. They should be perfectly glossy and aerated.
5. If the meringue cookies feel slightly sticky after baking, bake them in the oven for another 10 minutes at 120°C.
6. You can customise the flavour of the meringue by adding the essence or flavouring of your choice to the stiffly beaten egg whites.
7. You may choose to serve the cookies without any filling whatsoever.
What would you like to learn about cooking and baking from Chef Namrata? Tell us at food@gulfnews.com
