The raw materials of meringue are egg whites and sugar. It is simple in composition but plays an important role in desserts. Not only can it be used as one of the ingredients of the product, it can also be directly baked into meringue to decorate desserts or go with coffee.
Although it seems like a simple meringue, there are inevitably some minor problems when making it. Today we will introduce it in detail to deepen the understanding of meringue by bakers.
1. What is meringue?
meringue is made by beating egg whites and sugar. It can be used for mousse , soufflé , angel food cake and sponge cake as well as frosting. Its main function is to provide lightness and volume. It can also be baked in a low-temperature oven to make macaroons, cake layers, flan crusts, and more.
2. Classification of meringues
meringues can be classified according to the ratio of sugar to egg white. There are two main types of meringues, hard meringues and soft meringues. Hard meringues use about 2 parts sugar per egg white. Soft meringue uses equal masses of sugar and egg whites.
Hard meringue is denser than soft meringue, not as tender as soft meringue, but more stable, so it is suitable for decorating flowers. Hard meringue can be used for baking cake layers or baking meringues, and can also be used for cookies .
Firm meringue can be used as a light topping in lemon meringue pie, but it should be eaten as soon as possible after preparation. Because hard meringue is more stable, it is often used in bakeries.
3. Factors affecting meringue
01. Sugar
Although sugar will slow down the whipping speed and slightly reduce the volume, sugar has a great promotion effect on the stability of meringue. Adding sugar slowly allows time for the sugar crystals to dissolve so the foam doesn't disappear.
Additionally, if the sugar is added too quickly, the protein molecules may not unfold properly, resulting in a weak meringue, or in extreme cases, the egg whites will not be able to whip and foam.
Operation precautions:
Undissolved sugar crystals appear on the meringue, weakening it. When baking, these crystals will absorb water and sometimes form syrup beads, which will affect the production.
In order to avoid the shrinkage of syrup beads and meringues, use fine sugar (such as superfine sugar) to quickly dissolve the sugar.
02. Lipids
Lipids (fats, oils and emulsifiers) interfere with aeration by coating proteins and preventing them from spreading and aggregating. But the role of lipids is not limited to this. Lipids compete with the protein for position on the foam surface.
Because lipids themselves cannot form a strong, cohesive network like egg proteins, bubbles coated by lipids will expand rapidly and eventually collapse.
Operating Precautions:
To avoid grease and emulsifier problems when whipping meringues, be sure to use a clean basin, carefully remove any mixed egg yolk from the egg whites, and do not use plastic basins and utensils, as they absorb grease and are not easy to clean.
03. Acid
Acid stabilizes meringues by lowering the pH. cream of tartar is the most commonly used acid, but lemon juice and vinegar can also stabilize. Too much acid can produce a sour taste and should be avoided.
If acid is added early, the whipping may take longer, but the protein network formed is elastic and stable, can resist over-beating, can withstand folding, decorating and baking operations, and the meringue will be whiter.
04. Egg white temperature
Egg whites just taken out of the refrigerator cannot be whipped well.The ideal temperature for whipping regular or French meringue is room temperature, around 21C.
In addition to making ordinary meringues, the bakery also prepares Swiss and Italian meringues. Any of these three can be made into a soft or stiff meringue.
Handling Precautions:
Be extra careful if you need to warm the egg whites to room temperature. It's best to gently heat the egg whites in a hot but not boiling water bath, stirring constantly as they warm. If overheated, the egg whites will curdle and cannot be whipped.
05. Egg white consistency
Thin old egg whites create a larger foam volume than thicker fresh egg whites. But once whipped, thin egg white foam is less stable because a thin film of liquid is more likely to flow away from the foam.
06. Beating time
Neither under-beating nor over-beating is advisable. If the whipping is insufficient, the proteins will not assemble into a strong film sufficiently. Under-whipped meringues will end up watery.
If you beat too fast or for too long, the protein will be denatured and aggregated in large quantities, and the protective film surrounding the bubbles will become overstretched and rigid. The meringue eventually collapses into tightly cohesive, unstable clumps of protein that float in the squeezed liquid.
protein has simple raw materials and is easy to operate. It improves the product level in terms of taste, texture and appearance, making it an eye-catching feature of the product.
It is highly moldable and occupies a place in many pastries, so whether you are just starting out or an experienced baker, you need to understand the characteristics of meringue in order to bring out its charm.
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