Meringue
Meringue is sweet and tempting in all its simplicity. It's incredibly easy to make and you can combine it with all kinds of fruit and other delicious things for the most wonderful desserts. In my pursuit of the perfect recipe, I have learned that there are several ways to make meringue. Some rave about water baths, others think it's nonsense. There are also several opinions about how the finished result should be if it is to be "right". Some love that there is a soft bubblegum-like guf in the middle - others want them crispy all the way through. Some believe that meringue should be with chocolate, others with nuts, and still others think there should be no filling... I made the meringue mass over a water bath to ensure that the sugar melts completely and added vinegar, which makes the mass tough. We have used the same basic recipe for all meringues.
For 12 large meringues or 25 small ones, you need:
115 g egg whites
225 g white sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
possibly fill as desired, it can be pieces of dark chocolate, cacao, nuts
Turn on the oven at 150 degrees. Place baking paper on two baking sheets. Place a large pot half filled with water on the stove. Heat the water - it must not boil. Put egg whites, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Whisk and bowl must be completely dry and fat-free, otherwise the egg whites will not be stiff. Remove the pan from the stove. Place the bowl in the pan and whisk with an electric whisk. You must whip for approx. 10 – 15 minutes.
Add the filling. Spread the meringue mixture on the two baking sheets. Put the plates in the oven and turn down to 120 degrees. They should bake for approx. 45 minutes if you make large meringues and ½ hour if small. When the time is up, turn off the oven and let them stand until they have cooled down.
Chocolate Meringue:
I made a portion with chopped good chocolate. Used approx. 30 grams for this portion.
Almond Meringue:
A portion is sprinkled with slivered almonds. These are sprinkled on the meringue tops inside they are put in the oven.
Tip:
Should you want to make chocolate meringue a la "route cars", which you probably know from childhood, you can put a few tablespoons of good cocoa in when you whip. Once you have baked them, you can make a fantastically good and quick layer cake. Crush some chocolate meringue and mix in a portion of whipped cream. Spread the mixture over layer cake bases that are covered with slices of banana. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.