Welcome to How To Cook That!
I am Ann Reardon and on today's show I am going to show you how to make these amazing meringue drops, we've got lime, chocolate, raspberry and passionfruit. And the fruit ones just burst with fruity flavor in your mouth. They are really good.
And also you have the chance to WIN a golden ticket. Which what that means is you and a friend can come with me for coffee and dessert or if you don't drink coffee like me we will make it hot chocolate and dessert. And at that meeting I will bring for you as signed Breville scraper mixer pro. So if you would like to know how to enter that competition just watch to the end I'll explain all of those details at the end of this video.
To make the basic meringue drops we need two egg whites, sugar, icing sugar or powdered sugar. And then I will show you what to add for each of the flavors in a minute. Place your egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on high speed until they are fluffy and look like this. Then add your sugar a little at a time.
All the recipe quantities that you need are on the howtocookthat.net website for you in grams and ounces and cups. Now you don't have to be too slow when you are adding the sugar just put it in in about 4 lots. Then add in your icing sugar. Continue to whisk on high speed until they have stiff peaks. And that is your basic meringue recipe, easy.
Now to turn that into these yummy lime meringues. You want the juice of one lime. Pour the juice into a bowl and microwave it on high to evaporate off some of the water in it. Keep going until you are left with about a tablespoon of hot lime juice.
Add that into your meringue whip it up and if you want to you can add a couple of drops of green coloring. I've been experimenting with these quantities this week when I was developing this recipe for you and one lime gives a nice burst of flavor but two limes and it is a bit too intense. Place the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star shaped tip and pipe in rows on non-stick baking paper.
Meringues don't really spread out when you bake them so you can pipe these fairly close together to make raspberry flavored meringues, these are my favorite. You will need 1 cup of frozen raspberries and some water. Add the raspberries to the saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of the water place over high heat and stir it.
You'll see over time as well as the water evaporating off you can see all the steam, the fruit is also cooking and breaking down. Once it looks like this it is ready. Pour it into a fine sieve and using the back of a spoon push down so you get left with the seeds in the top and pour out the juice.
Now for hot chocolate flavored meringues we will add cocoa powder to our mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to your mixture and mix well. Now we can pipe these onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Let me know which ones are your favorite and have fun experimenting with different flavors as well. So now how can you win the golden ticket to have coffee and dessert with me or hot chocolate and dessert with me and go home with a signed Breville scraper mixer pro?
You need to fill out the entry form and I'll link to that in the description below this video and it will have all the details of what you need to do there. And it is only open to people who can get them selves to or who live in Sydney and Los Angeles.
Because I live in Sydney so I can't do coffee with you if I'm not there. And I am travelling to LA next month. So as well as doing one lucky person with their friend, meeting them and giving them a scraper mixer. I will also be doing a meet and greet while I am there.
And for all the details on the meet and greet while I am there and for all the details on the meet and greet you can click here. And go and find out those details and I'll put that link below as well. You do need to register for it, it is going to be amazing fun.
It's going to be like no meet and greet you've been to before it's how to cook that style. Have fun making these. Let me know which flavors you come up with and what you enjoy the most. Subscribe to How To Cook That for more cakes chocolates and desserts.
Click here to go to my website to see all of my other recipes and to enter the competition to win the Breville scraper mixer and register for the meet and greet. So much to do today. And click here to go to the channel to see all of my other videos. Have a wonderful week and I'll see you all on Friday.
For those who want to learn more about meringue, it's an easy dessert to make but can be tricky to get right. The key is to get your mixture to the correct consistency which should be stiff and hold its shape when piped onto a baking sheet. Here are some tips for making meringues:
1. Use room temperature egg whites: Cold egg whites won't whip up as well, while hot egg whites can cause the mixture to weep.
2. Don't overmix the mixture: Overmixing will break down the air bubbles and make your meringue flat and dense.
3. Use the right sugar: Granulated sugar is best for making meringues because it dissolves quickly and easily, while superfine sugar can give a slightly gritty texture.
Tips for piping meringues:
1. Use a piping bag with a star tip: This will help you get precise lines and shapes in your meringue.
2. Pipe the meringues slowly and carefully: Make sure to hold the piping bag steady and at a 90-degree angle to the baking sheet.
3. Tap the baking sheet gently to remove any air bubbles: This will ensure that your meringues are smooth and even.
Tips for baking meringues:
1. Use a low oven temperature: A low oven temperature will help prevent the meringue from browning too quickly or cooking unevenly.
2. Don't overbake: Meringues should be baked until they're dry and crisp, but still slightly flexible to the touch.
Here are some common mistakes to avoid when making meringues:
1. Not using room temperature egg whites: Cold egg whites will not whip up as well, resulting in a flat and dense meringue.
2. Overmixing the mixture: Overmixing can cause the air bubbles in the meringue to break down, resulting in a soggy or weeping texture.
3. Underbaking or overbaking: If you underbake your meringues, they will be soft and chewy; if you overbake them, they will be crispy but dry.
And finally, don't forget to have fun experimenting with different flavors and combinations! Try adding a teaspoon of extract or a pinch of salt to give your meringues an extra boost of flavor.