It’s the ideal dessert for a special occasion or entertaining a crowd. The best part? You only need a few ingredients to make it.
6 tips for a perfect meringue base
Making meringue is simple – the basic ingredients are 55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar for every egg white – but it’s essential to get a few things right. Follow these tips.
Step 1:
To get the right shape for your meringue, use a plate as a guide to draw a 20cm circle onto non-stick baking paper. Turn it ink-side down on the tray.
Step 2:
To ensure no yolk gets into the egg white, separate the eggs 1 at a time before transferring to the bowl. If there’s any yolk in the egg white, discard it.
Step 3:
Beat the egg white in a dry bowl until firm peaks form. To test this, lift the beater – the egg white should come to a slight point.
Step 4:
To keep the egg white light, beat in the caster sugar gradually. If you add it all at once the mixture may deflate and you risk overbeating to dissolve it.
Step 5:
To test if the sugar is dissolved, rub some mixture between your fingers. If it feels grainy, keep beating until the mixture feels smooth and looks glossy.
Step 6:
To give structure to your meringue so it’s less likely to collapse during baking, run a flat-bladed knife up the side all the way around to make furrows.
Pavlova secrets
Use these techniques for a perfect meringue every time.
Tool tricks
- Ensure your equipment is dry before you start. Moisture stops egg white aerating, so it may not increase in volume at all or your meringue may be smaller. Don’t use a plastic bowl as it retains moisture.
Egg essentials
- Don’t allow any egg yolk to spill into the egg white – the tiniest bit of egg yolk in the white can stop the white from aerating.
- Bring eggs to room temperature before separating – set aside for at least 20 minutes after removing from the fridge. Cold egg white takes longer to beat, so it doesn’t incorporate as much air, which is what makes meringue light and fluffy.
- Keep out any traces of water or fat, such as oil or butter – these prevent the egg white from incorporating air and producing a good volume.
Adding ingredients
- Use caster sugar rather than white sugar – it’s finer in texture and dissolves more easily. Any undissolved sugar can ruin the texture of your meringue.
- Beating vinegar and cornflour into the mixture creates a soft centre and a crisp shell.
Kitchen conditions
- Make pavlovas on dry days with low humidity and no rain – any moisture in the air can stop your mixture from aerating (see Tool Tricks, above).
- Don’t cook other dishes or boil the kettle when making pavlova – these activities create steam, which adds moisture to the air.
Baking basics
- Leave meringue in oven after baking, with the door closed, to cool and dry out completely.
What could go wrong:
Overbeaten egg white
Overbeating egg white breaks down the structure and the meringue is likely to collapse during baking. Beat until firm peaks form, then start adding sugar. If the egg white starts to separate or looks curdled, it’s overbeaten and you’ll need to start again with fresh egg whites.
Cracked meringue
If you overbeat the mixture after adding the sugar, your meringue may crack and collapse during baking. To avoid this, only beat the mixture until the sugar dissolves – test this by rubbing a little of the mixture between your fingertips.
Weeping meringue
To avoid liquid or beads on the surface of your meringue, make sure all the sugar has dissolved, being careful not to overbeat.
