There are only three ingredients in making Basic Meringue; egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar or acid. They came out really good, just like the meringue my Mom bought for me in the Philippines when I was little. You know those colourful meringues in a plastic bag? Yep, those ones. 

I have leftover egg whites in the fridge and I can’t just leave them there alone. So today, I made basic meringue. This recipe is the easiest but will take an hour and a half to bake, a little more time to cool it down. I made two designs: Meringue Kisses or Drops (a very basic design using a piping bag) and the Meringue Nest or here in New Zealand, we called it Pavlova Nest. You can add fresh whipped cream on top and some fresh strawberries and other fruits.

Basic Meringue Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

2 egg whites, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence

How to Make Basic Meringue?

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 120 degrees C.  

2. In a large bowl or in a stand mixer, mix the egg whites in medium speed until soft peaks form.  

3. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisk in between addition. Mix the egg whites until sugar granules are dissolved.  

4. Continue to whisk the egg whites for 3 minutes in high speed.  

5. Add the vanilla essence and a pinch of salt, and fold the egg whites until combined.  

6. Spoon meringue onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Make sure to place them apart from each other, as they can get bigger while cooking. Reduce the temperature to 90 degrees C.  

7. Bake meringue for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave them there to cool completely. 

Serve and enjoy this Basic Meringue with family and friends!

NOTES:

• Use room temperature eggs. 

• Make sure the egg whites are bubbly and has changed its colour before adding the sugar. Add the sugar gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisking in between addition.

• Soft peak is when the meringue is not soupy and it can hold its form.

• You can add a few drops of food colouring to make a pretty, pastel meringues. 

• Store in an airtight container for 1 week.

Did you make this Basic Meringue? Please leave a comment below. 

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