¥ Separate eggs when they're cold - that's when they yolks and whites divide most easily - but whip the whites after they've been at room temperature for at least 5 to 10 minutes - that's when they'll puff most prodigiously.
¥ Always separate eggs one at a time: Drop the white into a small bowl so you can inspect it for any traces of yolk - if it's fine, pour it into the mixing bowl; if there's a speck of yolk, scoop it out or, to be cautious, save the egg for anouther use.
¥ Make sure the mixing bowl and shisk are impeccably clean, dry, and free of grease - if you want to be super sure it's grease-free, rub your mixing bowl with white vinegar and then dry it thoroughly before you beat the egg whites.
¥ Use a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a hand-held mixer, to get the most volume out of whites; if your're whipping by hand, use a whish and copper bowl - the chemical reaction between the copper and the whites works to increase the amount of air you can beat into the whites.
¥ Add a pinch of salt or cream of tartar to stabilize the whites.
¥ Whip the whites to medium-soft peaks before adding the sugar.
¥ Don't whip your whites past the point of gloss - properly whipped whites are firm and shiny; onerly whipped whites separate into small clumps.
¥ Use meringue immediately - if you need to leave it for a few minutes, keep the mixer going on low speed.
¥ Bake meringues at a temperature of between 175¡F and 200¡F until they are dry and crispy and can be lifted off the parchment paper without effort. Keep an eye on them - they shouldn't color.
¥ Don't even think about baking meringues on a humid day - they'll be as sticky as the weather.
Per serving: 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium
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