A few years ago I almost sent myself mad trying to work out a way of making Pavlova in the Thermomix that replicated the Margaret Fulton recipe that I loved. I finally got there after many attempts, but one thing I discovered when using the Thermomix is that you definitely need to use 1 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar when whipping 210g to 250g egg whites … every time I left that out, or used “just a pinch” as so many recipes stated, the whites were never stable enough to hold their form and would flop. This is not something I need to do in my Kenwood (as the bowl is wider and you incorporate more air as you are whipping), but in the Thermomix I never miss that step.
There are many “rules” on how to make a good meringue, but for me the most important ones are:
- Your bowl must be clean and free of fat residue – whether you use a Kenwood, Mixmaster, Kitchen Aid or Thermomix. So when using a Thermomix I always start with cleaning the bowl and my butterfly first (to ensure there is no fat residue under the blades or on the butterfly). To do this place your butterfly in TM bowl, fill with water to the 1 litre mark, add 30g white vinegar, and heat 10 minutes / Veroma / speed 2. When finished remove the butterfly, flick off the water and put aside, empty the bowl, wipe clean with kitchen paper and allow to cool (residual heat in the bowl will ensure it is dry which is also important).
- Egg whites must be completely pure with no egg yolk in them … egg yolks = fat, which will give you the same result as fat smears in your bowl, meaning your egg whites will not whip to their full extent and will flop.
- It is best to use either a castor sugar (fine ground sugar) or icing sugar (powdered sugar) as it dissolves more evenly in the meringue mix (I prefer to use caster sugar).
There are also two camps on whether you should use new or old (known as “aged”) egg whites … I am on the side of using “aged” whites. I came to this decision after extensive research, reading what chefs in general practice (Adriano Zumbo … the egg white king in my view, never uses fresh egg whites as he gets more volume with “aged” whites), and decided I would follow that practice too. So I save my egg whites in the freezer, and take them out a couple of days before I need them leaving them in a covered container on the bench. If you don’t have frozen egg whites simply separate your eggs the day before you need them (make a custard, lemon curd, mayo, ice-cream, or an omelette in an Asian rice dish out of your yolks) and leave the whites in a covered container on the bench (not in the fridge).
In terms of the process I am always on the lookout for new and better ways of doing things, and recently I purchased Alyce Alexander’s cookbook “Recipes from Our Cooking School” (see here) … it’s a fabulous book if you don’t already have it) in which there was a recipe for meringues … so I tried that process alongside my own and found the results identical, but as it is a touch simpler I use that process now with just a couple of slight adjustments.
I usually make my Pavlova or meringues late in the day (around 5pm) so that once cooked they can remain in the oven overnight removing them the next morning. If you don’t have time to do this you will need to leave them in the oven for at least 3 hours to dry out, but they are definitely better left overnight if possible.
What I love most about these meringues is that when you cut (or bite) into the meringues (see pic) you will get a lovely green chewy band of meringue in the middle, with a lightly coloured crispy dome … I find them delicious, and my husband Bryan even loves them and that is saying something (he doesn’t like meringues as he finds them too sweet)!
For this recipe you will need two large baking trays giving you 32 mini meringues. They will stay crisp in a sealed container for 3 to 4 days (possibly longer but we have eaten them in that time). They are perfect served with a cuppa and are a great alternative to offering chocolate at the end of a dinner meal.
For more detailed information on Matcha, and where I buy mine, see my post on Matcha Ice-Cream (see here).
There are many “rules” on how to make a good meringue, but for me the most important ones are:
1. Your bowl must be clean and free of fat residue – whether you use a Kenwood, Mixmaster, Kitchen Aid or Thermomix. So when using a Thermomix I always start with cleaning the bowl and my butterfly first (to ensure there is no fat residue under the blades or on the butterfly). To do this place your butterfly in TM bowl, fill with water to the 1 litre mark, add 30g white vinegar, and heat 10 minutes / Veroma / speed 2. When finished remove the butterfly, flick off the water and put aside, empty the bowl, wipe clean with kitchen paper and allow to cool (residual heat in the bowl will ensure it is dry which is also important).
2. Egg whites must be completely pure with no egg yolk in them … egg yolks = fat, which will give you the same result as fat smears in your bowl, meaning your egg whites will not whip to their full extent and will flop.
3. It is best to use either a castor sugar (fine ground sugar) or icing sugar (powdered sugar) as it dissolves more evenly in the meringue mix (I prefer to use caster sugar).
There are also two camps on whether you should use new or old (known as “aged”) egg whites … I am on the side of using “aged” whites. I came to this decision after extensive research, reading what chefs in general practice (Adriano Zumbo … the egg white king in my view, never uses fresh egg whites as he gets more volume with “aged” whites), and decided I would follow that practice too. So I save my egg whites in the freezer, and take them out a couple of days before I need them, leaving them in a covered container on the bench. If you don’t have frozen egg whites simply separate your eggs the day before you need them (make a custard, lemon curd, mayo, ice-cream, or an omelette in an Asian rice dish out of your yolks) and leave the whites in a covered container on the bench (not in the fridge).
I usually make my Pavlova or meringues late in the day (around 5pm) so that once cooked they can remain in the oven overnight, removing them the next morning. If you don’t have time to do this you will need to leave them in the oven for at least 3 hours to dry out, but they are definitely better left overnight if possible.
For this recipe you will need two large baking trays giving you 32 mini meringues. They will stay crisp in a sealed container for 3 to 4 days (possibly longer but we have eaten them in that time). They are perfect served with a cuppa and are a great alternative to offering chocolate at the end of a dinner meal.
- 330g golden castor sugar, or plain white caster sugar
- 2 level tsp Matcha powder (culinary grade)
- 210 to 250g egg whites (room temperature, approximately 6 to 7 eggs)
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tbls cornflour
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbls raw pepitas, chopped
- icing sugar for sprinkling once baked
- Preheat oven to 150 degrees (fan forced)
- Arrange racks in oven so that one is towards the base and the other is at least two levels up allowing plenty of room in-between
- Line two large baking trays with baking paper (dab a little oil on baking sheet to hold paper in place)
- Ensure bowl and butterfly are clean (see note above)
- Insert butterfly, put lid on TM bowl and place a container for your sugar on top
- Weigh your sugar into the container, then remove 3 tablespoons of it to a smaller container and mix it well with the Matcha powder … ensure there are no lumps in the sugar or the Matcha/sugar mix before starting (I use the back of a spoon to press into the sugar to do this)
- Place eggs whites and cream of tartar into bowl and whip 2 minutes / 50 / speed 4 (no MC)
- Set blades to 10 minutes / speed 2 (no heat) and with blades rotating slowly add the caster sugar one teaspoon at a time through the hole in the lid … this should take you about 7 minutes
- Once you have done that, again slowly add the Matcha/sugar mix one teaspoon at a time through the hole in the lid … this will take you about 2 minutes leaving about a minute before the 10 minutes is up (if this isn't the case, continue for 1 more minute to ensure that all the sugar is incorporated)
- Lift the lid and create a little space around butterfly, then add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla and mix 10 seconds / speed 2
- Using two long handled teaspoons (or whatever else you like), place two spoonfulls one on top of the other, onto the baking tray for each meringue (do not flatten as they will flatten in the oven … you want them sitting nice and high), placing them well part to allow for expansion in the oven
- Sprinkle meringues with chopped pepitas
- Place the trays into oven, close the door and reduce temperature to 120 degrees
- Bake for 50 minutes
- Switch off oven and leave to cool for at least 3 hours until completely cool (I usually leave it overnight)
- When ready to remove from the baking tray, sprinkle well with icing sugar and place into a sealed container
Gina, my friend, who is a capable cook with years of experience, told me she has never been able to make a pavlova meringue that she is happy with. Years of poor results left her disappointed. UNTIL she made your r Chipewyan using TM, and asked if I would pass onto you how delighted she was with the result! Thought you would like to know, so I am receive next week for family dinner . Shannon xxxx
Oh Shannon … that is such a lovely lovely message … thank you! Meringues can be a challenge … I had a class yesterday and it was really hot and humid here so my meringue whipped up okay, but not quite as fluffy as it normally is … cooked up okay though so I have a pic to share with the girls today (I had already made one the day before for them to eat in class) … but that is the thing with meringue … most of the time it is totally fine, but sometimes the weather can play havoc with it (doesn’t like humidity!). So thrilled all went well for your friend … fabulous news! xo PS: enjoy the dinner!