Meringues - what am I doing wrong?

[cheezelkat]

They are crunchy on the outside but as you finish eating them they get chewy. How can I make them hard all the way throughout?

My recipe:

2 eggwhites
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp white vinegar

Beat eg whites until peaks form. Beat in sugar until all incorporated. Stir in vinegar. Pipe into shapes and bake for 30 minutes at 120 degrees, leave in oven additional 30 minutes to harden.

I piped them into little blobs and left them there for oven an hour and no luck :( can anyone hep?

[Lunar]

I don't think I use vinegar in my recipe.
Maybe don't make them so thick...? Maybe pipe them a little thinner, I don't know mine turn out ok. Sometimes I do them in the microwave too, doesn't take as long.

[Funkychicken]

I also fold a tsp of cornflour into mine. But I actually aim for the chewy centred ones-I love them like this!:chef:
Are you trying to make them like bakery ones? I think they add gunky things to create the hard ones.

[Sarie]

Make sure you do it on a fine day, don't try and cook them when it's raining, they won't work.

[Cupcake]

Yep I add cornflour as well, I am also a fan of the chewy centre.
I think that is the way they are :confused:

[ForeverMine]

Ohhh you've inspired me and my sweet tooth to make some now....

Yummmmmm, just another mess to clean up later though.

Will let you know how mine go.

:D

[razzle]

When you leave them in the oven for the extra half an hour, shove a teatowel in the oven door, so it's open just a crack. I think this is to let out the heat slowly.

And also make sure that your eggs are at room temp - not straight out of the fridge.

[cheezelkat]

THANKYOU!! Bingo - they are now perfect. Nice and crunchy!

For the chewy meringue lovers - I love to break my meringues and swirl them through ice cream. Only the hard and crunchy will do for that! :D I'm just not fond of the texture of chewy and I really don't like pavlova - the squishy centre irks me :)

[Cupcake]

I am glad you have had success :yelclap:
But since reading this all I can think of is crunchy & chewy meringues & I am craving them & cant stop thinking about it but I am on a diet :crying:
Thanks & I hope you enjoy your treat :laughing:

[aardvark]

I am glad you have had success :yelclap:
But since reading this all I can think of is crunchy & chewy meringues & I am craving them & cant stop thinking about it but I am on a diet :crying:
Thanks & I hope you enjoy your treat :laughing:

If you are dieting, I think you can make pavlova or meringue using Splenda, if you are not adverse to artificial sweetener (I avoid it). I'd check the splenda website to see if there is a recipe.

[Cupcake]

Oh great idea :yelclap:
Thanks for that!
I will love you forever :hugs: LOL

[ForeverMine]

I didnt use vinager... I didnt have any lol...

But mine didn't turn out.... the first time....were wayyy to egg taste

the 2nd time lol they were perfect and I ate them all in a minute

[cheezelkat]

DF has eaten all mine AGAIN :rolleyes:

I have a meringue factory in operation now. I've made blue, pink and green ones :D