Name: Crunchy Maple Meringue
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Yield: 15 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 cup (250 ml) maple syrup; 3 egg whites; 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) cream of tartar

Ingredients

1 cup (250 ml) maple syrup
3 egg whites  
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) cream of tartar

Preparation

With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 75 °C (170 °F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil and reduce until a candy thermometer reads 120 °C (250 °F). Remove from the heat while you beat the egg whites.
In a bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the hot syrup to the egg whites, beating constantly. The whites will gain in volume and release some steam. Continue to beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the stiff peaks form.
With a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip or with the back of a spoon, shape the meringues directly on the baking sheets, shaping them in approximately 10-cm (4-inch) in diameter and 1.5-cm (1/2-inch) thick nests, shells, or discs.
Place the baking sheets in the oven and let the meringues dry gently for about 3 hours, depending on their thickness. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for another hour.

Note from Ricardo

Step 2:
The syrup must still be very hot when poured over the foamy egg whites. Reheat if necessary.

Step 3
Do not pour the syrup over the beaters, it would spill and stick on the side of the bowl, which could affect the outcome of the meringue.

Step 5
To check for doneness, pull a meringue from the baking sheet. It should easily come off from the parchment paper and after 5 to 10 minutes of cooling, it should break sharply. If it does not, continue drying.

Change the flavour!
For a nice dessert, you can garnish the meringues with lemon curd (recipe on page X) and seasonal berries.

To serve as little sweets, form mini meringues (drying time will be shortened to about 2 hours). Dip in melted chocolate and roll them in ground hazelnuts.

For crisp plain meringues, see the recipe for Pavlova Meringue on page X.

Crunchy Maple Meringue

Categories

Ingredients

Preparation

Note from Ricardo

Personal Note