Reviewed: Dec. 13, 2005

There are two types of meringue; soft and hard. The difference between the two is the amount of sugar added to the egg whites. Soft meringue is made with only a small amount of sugar and is used as a topping for pies and cakes. The more sugar in the recipe the crisper the cookie will be. If you cut too far back on the sugar the cookies will be more like marshmallows. Hope this helps clear up the sugar debate.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1034 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Moe

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Apr. 6, 2006

I am in school for baking and pastry and this is the closest thing I have seen yet to how I have learned to make meringues properly. My suggestion for those of you having problems with it taking so long to make would be to let the eggs reach room temp before you try to whip them. It makes the whipping process go much faster.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
584 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Chef in Training

Home Town: York, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 6, 2006

These are just like the gourmet meringues you buy at the specialty grocery stores. They are soo yummy! I used 1 tsp vanilla extract and increased sugar by 1/4 cup to make up for the added liquid. I also set my oven to 185, instead of putting a spoon in the door. It worked great. Next time I will definitely add a different flavor or chocolate chips! Also, I used parchment paper on the pan instead of butter and flour. This is a much better way to go because they fall right off the paper and you have no residue on the bottom of the cookie.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
541 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

JKERNS81

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Scholls, Oregon, USA

Living In: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 4, 2006

Foolproof and delicious. DO NOT REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR. The only thing that I did differently was that I scraped half of a vanilla bean into the egg whites when they reached the stiff peak stage. (If you add liquid vanilla extract, you will have to up the sugar content, as the extra liquid WILL affect the outcome of the cookies.) As many former reviewers have noted, the egg whites take a good 15-20 minutes to reach the stiff peak stage with an electric mixer. (My KitchenAid Pro 600 took about 16-17 minutes.) Next time, I'm going to try folding some toasted coconut into the finished mixture.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
206 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

allison125

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Jul. 12, 2006

I have made this recipe several times. I add 1/2 t. flavored extract to the mixture. I make the cookie larger with an indention in the middle. After they have cooled I use a coordinated flavor of chilled pie filling (spooned into the indention) and serve as a dessert. In other words if I use lemon extract in the cookie I use lemon pie filling for the dessert. I also add a dollop of whip cream on the top.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
128 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

LowFatLady

Reviewed: Mar. 27, 2007

I don't have an extremely sweet tooth, and thought this original recipe is way too sweet. So I cut the sugar to half and then I added 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar to compensate. My husband's grandmother use to make meringues for him, and he said it is exactly like he remembered it. So obviously the lack of sugar did not affect the sweetness so much as the rigidity of the meringues. But the technique of this recipe is perfect!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
126 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

CHECKERB

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Jun. 29, 2003

I served French Meringues at an afternoon tea...easy to make and visually elegant. Even though I didn't have a pastry tube...I made them free-hand with a spoon...they were still beautiful! Make sure you whip them for at least 15 minutes to get the desired consistency.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
78 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

SHARONJMEYER

Reviewed: Sep. 28, 2005

This was the best meringue cookie recipe I've found! I used to use the one in a cook book, but they never turned out- these were great! The only thing I would say would be is that they turned out better when places on a dark colored pan and placed on the top rack.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
61 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

AbbottsMommy

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Watertown, Wisconsin, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 21, 2007

Delicious! I love meringue cookies and had only made my own meringue for pies in the past, but this recipe was great. Tip for others-chill your bowl and beaters before you use them, I find it helps the mixture get the right consistency faster.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
60 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

L. Cal

Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2007

I had made creme brulee for my husband and was left with 4 egg whites - what a perfect answer this was since I am from the "waste not" generation. Room temp egg whites made them whip up faster and the confectioners sugar must be the answer since these are the best meringues ever. Thanks for this one!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
56 users found this review helpful