5 egg whites
1 cup extra fine sugar
Directions
Beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer at high
speed for 5 minutes or until stiff, but not dry. Sprinkle 1/4 cup
sugar over the whites and beat for 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle the
remaining sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, over the white mixture and
fold in gently but thoroughly using a rubber spatula. Drop by heaping
table spoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto oiled brown paper over cookie
sheets. Bake in preheated 250-degree oven for 55 minutes. Take from
oven and immediately remove from paper onto cooling rack VARIATIONS:
CHOCOLATE MERINGUES: Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa with the sugar
and beat into egg whites as directed Bake for 1 hour. CHOCOLATE CHIP
MERINGUES: Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips into Basic Meringue just
before dropping onto prepared cookie sheets.
Servings: 1 servings
Basic Meringues Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Dessert
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as a concept can be observed way back into ancient history, at least as far back as ancient Egypt, and maybe even further. However, these, old cookbooks were just very simple hieroglyphic instructions for preparing food.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe discovered, according to historians are some clay tablets in Sumerian describing the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who tried it feel `blissful`. As we move into The time of the roman empire around 25BC a man called Apicius created a collection of scripts detailing recipes enjoyed by his fellow Romans. In his works, he recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into hors d`oeuvres, entrees and afters, a very modern way of dining. Aspicius informs us how the ancient Romans were skilled in the use of a good variety of aromatic flavors, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example basil, fennel and dill. In the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought us a variety of spices and herbs from the holy lands, including spices such as basil and coriander. The introduction of these new foods and spices caused an outbreak in manuscripts on food, most of which are now in private libraries. Over the next few hundred years, the rich families of Europe competed to serve up the most exotic meals, and consequentially chefs and their recipe collections were much in demand. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 1800s that formal cookery and recipe books became really popular. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the USA, spent years to collecting, trying out, and recording recipes of the day. When we get to the 1900s, cooking publications are highly popular mostly due to better eduction, leisure time and having more money. The arrival of TV brought us TV cooks and the recipe books that accompanied them. And that brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, permitting everyone to access massive numbers of recipes such as those found on sites such as the one you are reading now. |
We hope you enjoy this Basic Meringues recipe.
