Starbucks Coffee Meringue Cookie Recipe - Tammilee Tips (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making meringue? ›

Meringues are not supposed to harden completely in the oven. While low heat will dry them out, meringues do not become hard and crisp until they have had a chance to cool for five or ten minutes.

It is possible to over-bake your meringue cookies. Beads of moisture form on the surface as a result of overcooking.

All meringues will expand/spread slightly as they bake, as the air trapped in the meringue will expand slightly.

A small amount of cream of tartar or vinegar can be added to the mixture at the beginning of whipping to help stabilize the foam and make it less likely to collapse.

You can store your meringues in an airtight container for four to five days at room temperature or up to a month in the freezer. If they seem sticky or chewy, Jackson and Gardner suggest baking them for 10 minutes at 200 degrees to restore crispness.

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 cookies made when the sugar was added at the very end had an overly airy texture (tasters compared it to Styrofoam) and a grainy consistency.

If making smaller meringues using a piping tip, the baking time could be closer to 2 hours. For larger meringue cookies, they might need to entire 3 hours to bake. You'll know they are done when they are completely dry on the inside and the outside.

As tempting as it is, try to avoid opening the oven until the very end of baking, or your baked meringue may crack. Use caution when using bulk egg whites in the carton, unless otherwise specified by a recipe or unless you need to use pasteurized egg whites for food safety reasons.

Can you leave meringue cookies out overnight? ›

As it draws in moisture, the meringues become sticky and soft instead of dry and crisp. If they're not eaten immediately, before the humidity can get to them, it's basically a disaster.

Cream of tartar: Cream of tartar is acidic, and it works to add better stabilization to meringue. The acid can be substituted for lemon juice or vinegar.

It is quite unusual for a meringue to have an "eggy" flavour and unfortunately this is usually an indication that the eggs are slightly stale. Check that the eggs are within their "best before" date and that they have been stored correctly.

If your meringue cookies turn brown or crack, it could be that the heat was a little too high or you baked them for a little too long. Every oven is a little different, so you can adjust the temperature or bake time suggested in the recipe card if needed.

It can take a while for a meringue to reach stiff peaks and for the sugar to dissolve—about five minutes with a hand mixer. If the sugar has not dissolved (for example, if it tastes gritty), keep beating.

Beat a mixture of thickened cornstarch and water into the egg whites to bind and stabilize the liquid in the meringue (and keep it from seeping out). Cook the filling for the full 2 minutes on the stove top so the cornstarch thickens completely and doesn't start breaking down and "leaking" during chilling.

Beat to soft peaks on medium-high speed. Gradually add the sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until it has all been incorporated. Continue beating until glossy, stiff peaks form. At this point, you can't overbeat the meringue, so keep beating until you've got those glossy, firm peaks!

Slow and steady is the fast and hard rule for any meringue. Start slow when whipping the whites for small and stable bubbles, slowly up the tempo so you don't over beat and then slowly add the sugar. This goes for your oven too. We're not cooking, so much as drying out the meringue.