Directions: |
Directions:1). Wash and dry the mixing bowl and make sure it is super clean and dry with no traces of oil or grease. Pour a tablespoon of vinegar into the bowl and a teaspoon of salt. Rub the bowl clean with paper towels, but do not wash it. The traces of vinegar and salt help stabilize the egg whites.
2). Make sure the egg whites do not have even a speck of egg yolk in them. Turn the egg whites into the bowl and if they are chilled, set the bowl in a larger bowl of warm water for a minute or two, until they are room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating the egg whites at a moderately slow speed until they are foaming throughout, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3). Add ⅛ teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg. This is a stabilizer. Gradually increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until soft peaks form, another 2 to 3 minutes.
4) If your recipe calls for sugar, turn the mixer to high speed and gradually add the sugar. Beat the egg whites until stiff and glossy peaks form. Sugar stiffens and stabilizes the whites.
5). Be careful not to overbeat the whites. Egg whites will not perform as they should when they lose their smooth sheen and begin to look grainy. You can usually reconstitute them by adding another egg white and beating briefly until they are smoothly reconstituted. |
Personal
Notes: |
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Notes: Stiffly beaten egg whites have multiple uses, from sponge cakes, meringues to soufflés. The bowl and the beater are of great importance. They must be clean, with no trace of oil or grease, and not even a speck of egg yolk should be among the whites since oil, grease, and yolk prevent the whites from mounting into a mass of tiny bubbles.
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This recipe for Beating Egg Whites into Stiff Shining Peaks is from