Meringue: A How-To

It sounds easy. It may be the simplest dessert. Egg whites and sugar. No matter its  nationality: French, Swiss or Italian, meringue is the the upright base of the pastry world. Uncomplicated, beautiful and obscured from the louder sounds of the pastry world.

But how many of us cry alongside a weeping meringue, curse our broken buttercreams, deflate at the sight of fallen Angel Food Cake, silently curse and quietly stomp when our souffles do not rise magnificently and break apart when our quenelles explode in the poaching liquid?

Egg whites: pure protein, hardcore strength, powerful support. But only when we stroke and cajole and coax them into submission. Only when we ride alongside them patiently, paying close attention to whatever they might need. A yolk-less uniformity, perhaps a pinch of salt or Cream of Tartar, or an elegant copper lined bowl completely void of dirt or grease.

The meringue is pristine. Pure.

And she's never as easy as they say she is.

In my sensual, sexy, sixth piece for KQED's Bay Area Bites I give you step-by-step instruction, complete with a visually descriptive photo essay on how to dominate the stubborn egg white and convince it to do exactly as you want every time.

Comments

[Fatemeh]

Shuna-belle...

PLEASE write a book.

Not only is your prose a joy to read, it's written intelligently with a nod towards the science that makes baking possible.

It's beautiful.

[Joe]

Very detailed! Loved the article

[Melissa]

Wow, I second Fatemeh.....start the book! We all have much to learn from you!
Beautiful photos!

[genevieve]

meringues are quite amazing. even if i (admittedly) do not like how they taste all that much...the process of making them is transformative. anyone looking for a true baking experience should spend an afternoon beating egg whites manually with a whisk...

[Kelli]

Thank you for taking on meringue! I always fear it. Looking forward to the book :)