Meringues. I am scared.

[bakedpotato]

Delia (I'm sticking with Delia for this one, I need someone matronly and authoritative to hold my hand) makes them sound really easy to make. I've always thought they were tricky. Should I risk it?

Delia says you make them with caster sugar, rather than icing (which would have been my assumption). Could I use golden caster sugar, rather than white, or would that mean they end up a odd brown colour?

i always use golden sugar... makes them have a slight toffee taste which cuts down on the saccharine sweetness... but does leave them slighty golden coloured... but I like it!

I just use ordinary caster sugar ...might try the golden in future.

I've never made meringues as such, I make pavlova to Delia's recipe and it always turns out well. My tips would be: use eggs as fresh as you can get and get some baking parchment to bake them on (not greaseproof paper).

Thanks -- I feel a bit braver now.

btw, what's the diff between baking parchment and greaseproof paper?

Technically, I have no idea, but meringues stick to greasproof much more than they do to baking parchment. Baking parchment feels thicker. It can be hard to get hold of though, and greaseproof will do, especially for meringues. Pavlovas can be a bit tricky to get off the paper without breaking.

they take ages to cook. i always get bored & take them out too soon & then they're too squidgy in the middle. lots of small ones cook quicker than 1 big one.

oh yes, for pavlova you cook for about an hour then leave in the oven overnight to dry slowly. Not sure about meringues. But I see that as an advantage - I don't have to do the preparation on the day (it's usually a special occasion pudding).

top tip - always make sure that the bowl and the whisk are super clean - any little bits of anything will mess up the beating of the eggwhite

meriengues are easy once you get used to them - try them with whipped cream and passion fruit..............yum!

So have you taken the plunge yet?

be afraid. be very afraid...

There's no news...

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They are easy peasy. Use golden caster sugar and they will be yummy. Baking parchment is available form Sainsburys, not ASDA! and small ones take about 1 hour

Kids love making them and plopping out blobs on the baking tray - who cares about the shape. Fill with cream and strawberries Or really broken ones are great for 'Eton Mess' Basically whipped cream, broken meringues and sliced strawberries. Mix gently and put into glass bowls

at least the oven will only be on gas mark 1/2

Delia's recipe is great If you follow it exactly you won't have any problems. They're easy!!

Still havering, if I make meringues tomorrow, will they keep for 24 hrs?

If you use granulated sugar instead they have a reallly nice slightly chewier texture rather than powdery.

yes they'll keep for eons in an airtight container but (and excuse me if this is stating the blumin obvious) not topped with cream/strawberries/whatever. I have mixed experience of big pavlova ones - on one memorable occassion I used greaseproof (not being aware of a difference), and didn't cook for long enough. It was very gooey and totally stuck and consequently fell apart. Friends who were round for dinner insisted they didn't care and we could have Eton mess instead of pavlova (Eton mess is, apparently a posh name for mashed up pavlova). We sat around outside (it was a summer evening) passing the bowl of cream round, taking it in turns to whip it. After about half an hour of whipping someone asked me if I was sure it was double cream. "double? what relevance has that got?". dh generally takes control when we have people round for dinner

24 hours? They wouldn't keep that long in the gingernut household .

Pavlova can be a bit tricky, but if you don't make them too big and make the base part fairly thick it's easier to get them off the paper without breaking them.

Pavlova is in the oven, a doddle thus far... However, have used well-oiled greaseproof, as it's all I have in [fearful]

oooh, well done, can I come to the party please?

I have used greaseproof in the past and it has been OK, a bit trickier but I did manage it. Cross fingers!

So, when did it become pavlova instead of meringues?

I'm hungry now! Am coming round to your house

I use Nigella's recipe,and it is so easy, with fab results eery time. It's now 'what I take' if I'm going to someone's house.

I'll try and find link to post.

Can't find it on-line, but this from Domestic godess:

For each egg white you need 60g caster sugar

preheat oven to 140 degrees/ gas marl 1

Whisk egg whites till stiff, but not dry; peaks should be firm and hold their shape. Resume whisking, adding the sugar tablespoon by tablespoon till all incorporated and you have a gleming, satiny mass. You can pipe meringues onto lined but not greased baking trays, but I mound desertspoonfuls onto the trays and then use the back of the spoon, wriggling around so that I have neat nipples, small bosomed shapes def not delia. To make nests, simply use the back of the spoon to make a nest shape. Bake for 60-7- mins, then leave in switched off oven for 20 mins before removing to cool.

My bit- not Nigella's-
All very easy, and I have made this with ordinary sugar if have no caster. I do it for 60 mins, then you get that chewy bit in the middle. Pile on the cream and strawbs, a big fav in my house Makes about 20 single ones, though I make bigger ones for dh, so prob make 16.