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My meringues always end up flat, brown and chewy. Any ideas why?

6K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  brianshaw 
#1 ·
I've tried several different recipes for Pavlovas and meringues from reputable cookbooks, but they always end up this way. What is the most likely reason for this?

- Their texture when going into the oven looks the same as foamed shampoo/bubble bath, no matter how much I whisk it (by hand). But on TV, the whipped egg whites look more like a bright white whipped cream. I wish I knew what the texture should look and feel like.

- I beat them in a ceramic bowl. I know they say to use metal, but does this actually matter?

- The bowl is dry and has been cleaned with regular dishwashing liquid. I doubt there's any grease in it.

- I'm not very good at cracking eggs, so the egg whites aren't 100% clear (there could be a speck of yellow, or white in it). Does this actually matter?

When I look in the oven they fall flat and brown pretty fast.
 
#2 ·
Yes. All that matters. You can't skip details in a recipe and expect the recipe to turn out. Follow the recipe and try a hand mixer or Hobart/Kitchen aid automatic mixer that can go faster and longer than you can by hand.

A meringue needs to already be stiff when it goes on a pie.
 
#4 ·
Yes. All that matters. You can't skip details in a recipe and expect the recipe to turn out. Follow the recipe and try a hand mixer or Hobart/Kitchen aid automatic mixer that can go faster and longer than you can by hand.

A meringue needs to already be stiff when it goes on a pie.
This...

plus a bit of Cream of Tartar as a stabilizer. The browning is overbaking.
 
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