I’m not going to lie to you, making the perfect meringue is a bit tricky. You need the right weather conditions (no humidity), the right sugar, oven setting etc. But I will also tell you that even “failed” attempts are incredibly delicious! So don’t worry if your meringues are cracked, or grainy. We will discuss meringues in depth this month, and troubleshoot any issues you might encounter. And hopefully, you’ll be delighted with the results in no time!
I had initially planned for you some elaborate desserts made using a meringue base. But after encountering many (many!) issues, I realized it would be much better to start with the basics. So with this baking calendar, we’ll be learning how to make the three types of meringue (French, Swiss and Italian) in their simplest form: in cookie form and as a topping. Once we get comfortable doing that, we’ll take it one step further in another baking calendar.
Using The Baking Calendar
If you like to see all the ingredients and recipes for this month at a glance, you can print out the meringue calendar. I kept the recipes as simple as possible so you can easily make them in a day. But just in case you’d rather make them over several days, you can follow the suggestions in the baking calendar.
As mentioned in the previous calendars, I strongly encourage you to keep a notebook and a pen next to you when baking. Write down things like the oven setting used, the oven shelf. Keep a record of any issues you might encounter to make troubleshooting easier. Snap some pictures whenever you can, to track your progress. And if you are willing to share them, I’d love to see them. You can email them to me at tanya@wheelofbaking.com or tag me on Instagram @wheelofbaking.
Okay, time to make meringues! Let’s go through this month’s recipes.
WEEK 1: French Meringue Cookies
Day 1
We will learn:
- What the difference is between the three types of meringue (French, Swiss, Italian).
- What happens when you whip egg whites.
- What affects the stability of a meringue.
- What can go wrong and how to fix it.
Action steps:
- Read How to make French meringue cookies.
- Make the meringue cookies.
Day 2 (optional)
Instead of making cookies, you could make meringue nests. On a piece of parchment paper, simply spoon meringue into small mounds. Create a nest by pushing the meringue with a big spoon, from the center towards the sides. Bake and let the meringue nests cool down completely, before filling.
We will learn:
- How to use the leftover egg yolks in raspberry curd.
Action steps:
- Read How to make Raspberry curd.
- Make raspberry curd and fill the meringue nests. Top with fresh raspberries if desired.
Other filling ideas: pastry cream, lightened pastry cream, chocolate pastry cream, lemon curd (use 2 egg yolks instead of 1 whole egg).
WEEK 2: Chocolate Merveilleux Cake
Day 1
We will review:
- How to make French meringue.
Action step:
- Make French meringue and pipe in the shape of snails. Bake and let cool completely.
Day 2
We will learn:
- How to make chocolate whipped cream.
- When to add the chocolate to the whipped cream for a smooth texture.
- How to assemble chocolate merveilleux.
Action steps:
- Read the post Chocolate Merveilleux (meringue cakes).
- Make the chocolate whipped cream.
- Assemble the chocolate merveilleux.
WEEK 3: Swiss Meringue Cookies
Day 1
We will learn:
- What a Swiss meringue is.
- How to flavor it with chocolate.
Action steps:
- Read How to make Swiss meringue cookies.
- Prepare the meringue cookies.
WEEK 4: Lemon Meringue Tart
Day 1
We will review:
- How to make pâte sucrée.
Action steps:
- Read How to make pâte sucrée if needed.
- Read How to make a French tart, 7 steps explained, if needed.
- Prepare the dough and refrigerate it.
Day 2
We will review:
- How to line a tart pan.
Action steps:
- Read How to line a tart pan with pastry if needed.
- Line the tart pan and bake the tart.
Day 3
We will review:
- How to make lemon curd.
- How to replace a whole egg with egg yolks.
Action steps:
- Read How to make lemon curd if needed.
- Prepare the lemon curd and fill the baked tart shell.
Day 4
We will learn:
- What an Italian meringue is.
- How to make it.
- How to give it a nice golden color.
Action steps:
- Read the post Lemon meringue tart (with Italian meringue).
- Prepare the meringue and pipe on the lemon tart.
- Use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue.
And there you have it! Now you know how to make the three types of meringue! I hope you enjoyed making (and eating!) them! And if you have a lot of leftover egg yolks, this might be the perfect time to make crème brûlée, chocolate mousse or you could head over to the egg yolk section for more ideas.
Next Baking Calendar
Well, let’s be honest, meringues aren’t exactly low on sugar! So to make up for this, I thought we could dive into the world of bread next month! I know some of you might be intimidated by bread, yeast, and the whole process generally. But so was I. And after actually giving it a shot, I can’t stop baking bread! I just love everything about it. From shaping the dough, to the amazing smell that fills up my kitchen in the morning! So I strongly urge you to give it a go.
Until next time!