Better late than never.....you are probably thinking I'm referring to the recipe post. In reality, I'm kicking myself for not following Julia Child's tip way back, on freezing unused egg whites for later use. Being a doubting Thomas, I never followed this sound advice until recently. To my amazement, the thawed egg whites do whip up perfectly. As they say, "the proof is in the pudding"...... the almond meringues turned out beautifully with a little crunch in each bite and slightly chewy center. I followed Julia Child's suggested measurements once the egg whites thawed ......1/4 cup equals 2 egg whites or 2 tablespoons for 1 egg white. Ingredients:
2 egg whites (or 1/4 cup thawed eggs whites)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup toasted sliced almonds
In a bowl, beat egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks start forming. Gradually add the the brown sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in the vanilla, almond extract and sliced almonds. Spoon onto a cookie tray which has been lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 300º F oven for 30 minutes. Makes 40
Almond meringues, these sound delicious! I love the flavor of almond. I have never frozen egg whites before but I have heard of it. Next time I have leftover egg whites I'll try that.
ReplyDeleteActually... Now that I think about it, I have frozen egg whites before! I used to by packages of egg beaters from Costco - for obvious reasons I wasn't able to get through it all so I would freeze most of it and use as needed.
Your almond meringues look delicious! I started freezing my egg whites simply because I hated to waste them. I haven't actually made meringues before, but I do love them!
ReplyDeleteHave never frozen them either.... now I will. The meringues are gorgeous! And I love the almond flavor. There's something about the scent of almonds cooking that makes everything seem that all is well.
ReplyDeleteRoxan, thanks, the meringues did turn out quite delicious and were quite a hit.
ReplyDeleteMs. WhitePlates,thanks for the visit. Can't agree with you more..... I'm really thrilled that I will no longer waste my unused egg whites. Freezing them is a great idea, and it really works.
ReplyDeleteClaudia, thanks so much, The almond extract really heightened the flavours,and added an Italian touch to original recipe. I still can't believe I never considered freezing egg whites before this. I hate to imagine all the egg whites I've wasted in the past. I would often let them sit in the fridge for days with high hopes of incorporating them in a recipe. We all know what often happens with the best of intentions....The end result was a trip to the trash can. I'm happy to say that this will no longer be the case.
ReplyDeleteI usually use the eggs whites for healthy stuff and never have them around to freeze. But next time I've got a recipe callign for yolks, I'm freezing the whites and making this recipe! Those look so good.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny - I just made Almond Meringues, but not really on purpose. I was making Meringues for another recipe and it made so much, I decided to throw some almonds and almond extract in the food processor and fold them in to make some cookies. Ended up to be an unexpected treat. I've never heard of freezing whites before though, so that's great to know. I've also never seen brown sugar used, so I'll be curious to try that as well. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteYour almond meringues are absolutely fantastic.
ReplyDeleteMay I wish you a Happy New Year.
Amanda, It was the first time I attempted freezing egg whites and I was totally surprised with the results..... definitely worth a try. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome you as a follower. Thanks for the support and wish you the very best in 2011!
ReplyDeleteChris, thanks for the visit. I was as surprised as you with the results. I loved the burst of flavour from the almond extract which enhances the taste of the almonds in the recipe. Freezing egg whites is a great, I wish I had done it ages ago. I guess better late than never. Wishing you and your family all the best in the New Year!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMangocheeks, thanks so much. I still can't believe the amazing results using thawed out egg whites. Hope you have a great 2011!
ReplyDeleteThese meringues are so pretty and festive :)
ReplyDelete