Shaping Foolproof Meringues - Cooks Illustrated

Published May 1, 1995.

Pastry teacher Flo Braker adds sugar in three stages, pipes the meringues immediately, and uses small "test" meringues to check for doneness.

The Problem

Many cooks shy away from meringues because they think they are too sweet or too temperamental.

The Goal

We wanted a foolproof technique to make meringues with just the right amount of sweetness.

The Solution

We add just enough sugar to ensure that the meringues harden properly but not so much they are cloying. We pipe or shape the meringues immediately after they are made, and add the sugar to the meringues in three stages to produce maximum volume and optimum texture. Finally, to ensure doneness, we recommend making a few small "test" meringues with leftover whipped egg whites.

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