Meringue

Rare card · No. 60909

Meringue ( mə-RANG, French: [məʁɛ̃ɡ] ) is a type of dessert or candy, traditionally made from whipped egg whites and sugar, and occasionally an acidic ingredient such as lemon, vinegar, or cream of tartar. A binding agent such as salt, flour, or gelatin may also be added to the eggs. The key to the formation of a good meringue is the formation of stiff peaks by denaturing the protein ovalbumin (a protein in the egg whites) via mechanical shear. They are light, airy, and sweet confections. Homemade meringues are often chewy and soft with a crisp exterior, while many commercial meringues are crisp throughout. A uniform crisp texture may be achieved at home by baking at a low temperature (80–90 °C or 176–194 °F) for an extended period of up to two hours.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Mike Lehmann, Mike Switzerland 12:44, 27 January 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0