I took some of the Two Chicks Liquid Egg Whites home with me this week. As you know, with eggs, all the cholesterol is in the yolk. So for those on a low cholesterol diet and feeling deprived of eggs, this is definitely the answer – liquid egg whites. You can use them for omelettes, fried egg, and mmmm … meringues! I indulged in all of these delighting in the fact that is was simple, no left over egg yolks, no mess, no cholesterol and no gluten. Great.
Here is the meringue recipe I like, although in fact mine took longer than this to cook as I like to do them really slow on Gas Mark 1/2 and then turn the oven off and let them cool really slowly too.
Recipe for meringues:
Ingredients
* 4 large organic egg whites , at room temperature
220g sugar (that is 55g of caster sugar per egg). You can use half caster sugar and half icing sugar if you want to as this works well too. When I have been out of caster sugar I have even used granulated and it has been fine.
Cook 30 mins
1.Preheat the oven to gas 1⁄4. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof or parchment. If it’s greaseproof you will have to grease it too as meringues still stick to it.
2. Tip the egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl. Give it plenty of room to expand. Beat them on a slow or medium speed with an electric hand whisk to begin with until the mixture to stiff peak status. You can over whisk the egg, so don’t go too mad.
3. Now turn the speed up and start to add the sugar, a dessert spoonful 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. Take care not to over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
4. If you are using icing sugar add that after the caster sugar by sifting a third of it at a time over the mixture, then gently fold it in .
The mixture should now look smooth and billowy and peak when you raise the spoon.
5. Scoop up a heaped dessert spoonful of the mixture. Using another dessert spoon, ease it on to the baking tray in rough rounds. 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. If you think some may be still squidgy in the middle turn the oven off, open the doors a little and let the meringues cool in the oven for a further 30 mins just to finish off the insides. Otherwise 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 ,(whoops there goes the cholesterol free recipe!) soya cream and berries, or just berries for us healthier ambassadors.
yummy , delicious