Finnish Meringue Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my meringue cookies not crunchy? ›

One of the most common mistakes is not beating the eggs long enough, or on too slow a speed, which means the egg whites won't reach stiff peak stage and instead only reach a soggy droopy stage.

Chewy meringues are the result of two possible situations, under-baking and humidity. If they are under-baked they might always be a little chewy. For humidity, you can try popping the meringues back into the oven on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 200°F for 10 minutes to try crisping them up a bit.

While low heat will dry them out, meringues do not become hard and crisp until they have had a chance to cool for five or ten minutes. 1. Sift 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with confectioners' sugar; set aside.

Meringue rules: The final verdict

Abide — Avoid yolks; use a non-plastic bowl; add sugar slowly, and bake low and slow. Let slide — Don't pull your hair out if your eggs are cold, you don't have superfine sugar, or it's a humid day.

The cornflour and vinegar that is added strengthens the egg white and make it more stable and you get the marshmallowy centres from the shorter cooking time.

There are a few different variations. You will often find homemade ones have a crispy exterior and a chewy or softer interior. What is this? Store bought meringues are often crisp all the way through.

Over whip the egg whites and you risk making them too firm and they will risk losing the moisture that they hold. This will affect your meringue's crispness, as well as making it more likely to collapse or weep beads of sugar. As my meringue guru Gary Mehigan advises: “If you over whip the egg whites you cannot fix it.

You can't overbeat meringue - It's true! You can't ruin it by mixing too much, so once all of the sugar is added, be sure that your meringue is glossy and that you have super firm, stiff peaks when you remove the beater from the mixer. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if it appears too soft.

Place on the center rack to bake at 200 for about an hour then turn the oven off and keep closed for an additional 1-2 hours. The meringue cookies are done when they're are dried throughout. You'll be able to lift them off the baking sheet and they will feel very light and dry.

You can also use the oven to re-crisp soggy or stale meringues. Put them in at a low temperature for ten minutes.

Why is my meringue like marshmallows? ›

Make sure your oven isn't too hot

The aim of meringues is simply to dehydrate them, rather than to cook them. If your oven is too hot, the sugar with caramelise and your resulting meringue will be brown, soft, chewy and powdery.

As it draws in moisture, the meringues become sticky and soft instead of dry and crisp. If they're not eaten immediately, before the humidity can get to them, it's basically a disaster.

Cream of tartar helps to stabilize the bubbles in meringue, but it isn't necessary. In our testing, we found no difference between meringue made with cream of tartar and meringue made without cream of tartar.

Fat will cause your whites to not reach stiff peaks. Also, adding cream of tartar or a little lemon juice will help make a solid meringue.

Fats, water, or dirt may compromise the meringue and prevent it from achieving the fluffy heights you desire. Avoid plastic bowls, which can retain traces of oil. Separate your eggs carefully. Enough yolk will also prevent the egg white proteins from binding together in the way you need.

cornstarch/water mixture. If you are making two pies and using 6 or more egg whites, just double up and use 2 tbsp of cornstarch, 4 tbsps cold water and 1 cup boiling water, and follow same method."