Finnish Meringue Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my meringue cookies not hardening? ›

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.

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.

One of the most common mistakes is not beating the eggs long enough, or on too slow a speed, which means the egg whites won't reach stiff peak stage and instead only reach a soggy droopy stage.

The “peak” refers to the tip of the meringue that you'll see on the bottom of the whisk attachment when you remove it from the mixer. You'll know that you've reached that stiff peak stage when the tip doesn't move when you turn the whisk upside down (so that the tip is now on top) or move it around.

You can't overbeat meringue - It's true! You can't ruin it by mixing too much, so once all of the sugar is added, be sure that your meringue is glossy and that you have super firm, stiff peaks when you remove the beater from the mixer. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if it appears too soft.

Our answer

If the meringue has turned slightly silver or pale grey then it is possible this is due to aluminium, though it is very rare for this to happen. If you have an aluminium whisk then it should be oxidised so that it has a hard surface.

Bake the meringues for at least an hour, or until they peel easily away from the parchment. If your oven is too hot, they lose their pristine whiteness and turn a sad shade of beige.

Any kind of grease ruins meringue. That means that your cooking utensils need to be immaculately clean. Even if you're sure they're clean but they've been sitting in your kitchen for a while, run some hot, hot water over them and dry with a clean dish towel or paper towel.

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

What is the most difficult type of meringue? ›

Italian Meringue Recipe

This type of meringue is commonly known as the most challenging of the three to master, but with the right technique you can create delicious desserts topped with this fluffy Italian treat.

Your cookies are done when they are crisp to the touch, have not taken on color during the baking, and can easily lift free from the parchment paper. If the meringue does not lift easily from the parchment paper keep baking and check back frequently until it can easily be removed.

The more sugar added to a meringue mixture, the denser and smoother the final foam will be. Sugar inhibits the eggwhite protein from forming bonds around air pockets, so the more sugar you incorporate, the less airy the foam will be. Adding the sugar too late and/or too slowly.

Make sure your oven isn't too hot

The aim of meringues is simply to dehydrate them, rather than to cook them. If your oven is too hot, the sugar with caramelise and your resulting meringue will be brown, soft, chewy and powdery.

Excess moisture in the air can seep into meringues and make them soft, even after they are baked, which is why it's best to avoid making meringue on damp days.

Fixing runny meringue is usually as simple as whisking more air into the mixture and waiting for it to develop stiff peaks. You can also add another egg white or a teaspoon of cornstarch to get the mix to the consistency you need.

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.

It's all about moisture. To keep it simple, cookie recipes that contain a lot of butter, brown sugar or egg yolks are going to yield soft and chewy cookies, because those ingredients add moisture and retain it for a longer amount of time.