Ultimate meringue

Ultimate meringue

Perfect your whisking skills for these light baked meringues - a blank canvas for tasty flavour combinations

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 16

Preparation and cooking times

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Plus cooking
Freezable

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to fan 100C/ conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4. Line 2 baking sheets with Bake-O-Glide non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
  2. Tip the 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
  3. Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
  4. Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy, almost like a snow drift.
  5. Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape (pic 3). Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer. Bake for 1 1⁄2-1 3⁄4 hours in a fan oven, 1 1⁄4 hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour. Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.

Per serving with cream

210 kcalories, protein 2.1g, carbohydrate 31g, fat 9.6 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 0g, sugar 30g, salt 0.12 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2003.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Vivo

    18 February 2008

    Vivo rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Simplicity itself, the turned out perfectly and all thats needed is sugar and egg whites. top marks.

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  • Binder photo Di Orson

    29 March 2008

    Di Orson rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Normally I cant make Merignues, but this recipe worked wonderfully and its so easy

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  • Binder photo munch

    04 May 2008

    munch rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Worked perfectly, by far the easiest and most fool-proof meringue recipe I have tried

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  • Binder photo AlisonInglehearn

    28 May 2008

    AlisonInglehearn commented on this recipe

    Finally a fantastic recipe for meringue which worked beautifully. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Worked well with brown bread ice cream ( the custard base for which generated the egg white) and raspberries.

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  • Binder photo John

    06 July 2008

    John rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    does what it says on the tin, even if you use a casserole dish because it was left in the flat i moved into and i am a skint student who can't afford a baking try (i will have money some day, maybe)

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  • Binder photo Jo

    09 July 2008

    Jo commented on this recipe

    This was absolutely brilliant - I had never made meringues before and it was totally fool proof!!

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  • Binder photo cakehead

    22 August 2008

    cakehead commented on this recipe

    My first attempt at meringues - this recipe was so simple and they tasted delicious. Loved the chewy centre - I'll definitely make again.

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  • Binder photo cakehead

    22 August 2008

    cakehead rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo gsantangeli

    05 January 2009

    gsantangeli commented on this recipe

    The perfect meringue! Crisp on the outside and fabulously chewy on the inside. Very easy too.

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  • Binder photo Dee'.

    16 January 2009

    Dee'. commented on this recipe

    The recipe and method were fine but how do cook a meringue that remains nice and white instead of acheiving a coffee coloured base;I did adhere to the cooking time and emperature.

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  • Binder photo Dee'.

    20 January 2009

    Dee'. commented on this recipe

    Can anybody let me have an answer to my query of the 16/01/09 please,re- the colour of the cooked meringue,please?...Dee'.

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  • Binder photo nettyuk

    23 January 2009

    nettyuk commented on this recipe

    lovely - went down a storm and very easy to make - will do these again

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  • Binder photo Julie

    08 March 2009

    Julie commented on this recipe

    Dee, I would suggest leaving out the icing sugar as it may be this that is causing the coffee colour through caramalisation.

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  • Binder photo Pippa

    11 April 2009

    Pippa rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These were great, chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. I did however do it wrong on my first atempt, as there was the tiniest bit of egg yolk in the whites and it stopped them forming stiff peaks. Ooops.

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  • Binder photo Joanne

    19 May 2009

    Joanne rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Brilliant recipe - recommended! I made with ordinary eggs and turned out great!

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  • Binder photo Emma

    26 May 2009

    Emma rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Lovely recipe - better than Delia's which is the one I usually use. I thought they were a little bit too gooey in the middle, but everyone else that had one thought I was talking nonsense when I said that and they thought they were just right!

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  • Binder photo reezy

    07 July 2009

    reezy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    So simple!! The kids loved them.

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  • Binder photo DT teacher

    30 July 2009

    DT teacher commented on this recipe

    In regard to white meringues I remember my mother making white ones and she never used caster sugar only icing sugar. I believe she kept the temperature even lower and cooked them for longer so they would more or less dry out rather than caramelise.

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  • Binder photo OMG!!!

    06 August 2009

    OMG!!! commented on this recipe

    Well what can I say!!! I have been attempting meringues for years & god only knows why but every one has ended up in the bin. I have followed many a recipe and many would say its a piece of pie, well not for this lemon meringue pie lover, I am the laughing stock of the family I once entered a cookery competition back in my school days & won with a hazel meringue gateaux, what I didnt tell anyone one was it was my lovley mum who baked it lol! mine like the rest of them went into the bin!! This recipe is a big success & I think my mistake in the past as been not enough sugar, you see this can not be a low calorie low carb recipe unfortunately & this is what I have been trying to do so thank you Good Food for your help I am a happy lemon meringue pie lover again!!!!

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  • Binder photo Beth

    15 November 2009

    Beth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Never made meringues before and so was a bit nervous but they seem to have come out really well (only eaten one so far though husband has already managed to scoff two is circling for his third).

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 16

Preparation and cooking times

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Plus cooking
Freezable

Ingredients

  • 4 large organic egg whites , at room temperature
  • 115g caster sugar
  • 115g icing sugar
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Per serving with cream

210 kcalories, protein 2.1g, carbohydrate 31g, fat 9.6 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 0g, sugar 30g, salt 0.12 g

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