In my collection of recipes which I am exploring, I have found quite a few recipes for pavlova and meringues. They must really have been fashionable in the 1970's - as most of the recipes date from that time.
Meringues have always been popular with our grandchildren - and it was a constant in our house - a large round Tupperware container where we housed our most recent product, and it has been known for a grandchild to have an unexpected and false urgent need to go to the toilet as their mother drove close to our home, and after the quick tip to the bathroom, the child appeared in the kitchen looking for meringues.
I usually of course make them with fresh eggs and sometimes lament that I have yolks left over, though they seldom were wasted, however, when the powdered egg white in the cute large white egg containers came on the market it made it easier.
Recently I discovered a cake decorating place Cakes Around Town near the start of Bribie Island Road and while I admired their wonderful products I only left with some powdered egg white - and have to use only a little of it to make decent pavlova or meringues. So lucky am I to have found it, though I did have a rather big shock using it the first time as it became a huge mass of white sticky stuff that seemed to explode over the top of the beaters and up into the machine. Next time round I was more careful.
Meringues have always been popular with our grandchildren - and it was a constant in our house - a large round Tupperware container where we housed our most recent product, and it has been known for a grandchild to have an unexpected and false urgent need to go to the toilet as their mother drove close to our home, and after the quick tip to the bathroom, the child appeared in the kitchen looking for meringues.
I usually of course make them with fresh eggs and sometimes lament that I have yolks left over, though they seldom were wasted, however, when the powdered egg white in the cute large white egg containers came on the market it made it easier.
Recently I discovered a cake decorating place Cakes Around Town near the start of Bribie Island Road and while I admired their wonderful products I only left with some powdered egg white - and have to use only a little of it to make decent pavlova or meringues. So lucky am I to have found it, though I did have a rather big shock using it the first time as it became a huge mass of white sticky stuff that seemed to explode over the top of the beaters and up into the machine. Next time round I was more careful.
I took a plastic container of my latest meringues to a group of folk the other day, and one of the younger ladies asked me how I made them. I said that I used egg white powder - she looked closer and asked "How come they are pink?" I just said I used food colouring. "Oh" she said. I was a little confused. What an odd question to ask I thought.
I will have to make another batch. I've eaten a few too many.
My Meringue Recipe
Ingredients
10 g egg white powder (I am using Bakels Actiwhite)
100 mls warm water
150 gms caster sugar (my recipe suggests 240 g - but I don't think that is necessary)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Food colouring
Method
Heat oven to 120 degrees C. Mix the egg white powder and water and let sit for 15 mins. Then beat with electric or other beaters until getting thick and fluffy. Add caster sugar while beating. Beat until thick and shiney. Mixture should form firm peaks. Add vanilla and food colouring.
Scoop into spoon and add to tray covered with cooking paper. Turn oven down to 100 degrees C and put tray in. Bake for around one and a half hours, checking occasionally. Allow to cool. Ready to eat. Yum.
Recipe using real eggs here.
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