Finnish Meringue Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my meringue cookies not crunchy? ›

If you put meringues in an oven that is just blasting with heat (which is what I used to do), it will just caramelize (or burn). And then you'll find that the meringue doesn't even go hard on the outside, but rather it will just stay soft and go all shriveled. Not to mention it will probably taste dreadful too.

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.

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.

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.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an excellent way to foolproof your meringue. Use it to create added fluff and keep your hard-won volume from shrinking. Cream of Tartar: Often added in when making meringues, acidic cream of tartar provides lift and stabilization.

Meringues for those that are not in the know are lovely little crispy pillows made from combining egg whites and sugar. There are a few different variations. You will often find homemade ones have a crispy exterior and a chewy or softer interior. Store bought meringues are often crisp all the way through.

This is a good cookie to make in the evening; meringues can be left in the oven (with the heat turned off) overnight. Baking vegan? A good substitute for the egg whites in this recipe is aquafaba, the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas.

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.

It doesn't have to be perfect, but if there are too many undissolved pieces of sugar, it means it's not fully dissolved into the protein layer of the egg whites. When this happens, your meringues won't come out crisp and they might seep liquid during baking as the sugar melts out of the meringue.

How do you know when meringue is done whipping? ›

To check if the meringue is done whipping, grab the whisk and swirl on the bottom of the bowl. You should feel some resistance against the whisk.

The difference between the different types of meringue is how the sugar and egg whites are combined. No matter the type, fat is the enemy to a strong meringue. I like to wipe my bowl and whisk down with a bit of vinegar to get rid of any residual fat or grease.

Any kind of grease ruins meringue. That means that your cooking utensils need to be immaculately clean. Even if you're sure they're clean but they've been sitting in your kitchen for a while, run some hot, hot water over them and dry with a clean dish towel or paper towel.

Adding sugar before whipping was also not ideal, leading to cakes that baked up a bit too dry. In the case of the meringues, adding the sugar at the start of mixing produced a cookie that was dull on the exterior, with a too-fine crumb within.

The importance of cream of tartar

This little ingredient is so important, it deserves its own section here. Cream of tartar is an acid that stabilizes the egg whites and is what gives you those big, beautiful, billowy pillows of fluffy white meringue.

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

To make a sturdier meringue, your recipe may direct you to add an acidic ingredient such as cream of tartar, white vinegar, or lemon juice. Caution: Don't use a copper bowl if you're adding acid to stabilize your meringue; it will react with the copper and discolor the egg foam.