Meringues for hopeless ! (Meringues pour les nuls)

This past week was crazy, not a single quiet moment !

I cooked. But I didn’t find one little tiny moment to take care of this blog an I apologize for this !

Now, life is calmer and I want to share with you one deepest philosophical thought I had this week end : There’s something I wasn’t prepared, when I start blogging …

To be obligated to clean my kitchen between each picture.

Don’t get me wrong, my kitchen is generally clean enough and orderly.

But sometimes, I force myself to not be perfect, it’s hard, but I have to fight against myself.

So after diner, when table is clear away and dishwasher... is dishwashing, I slouch in the sofa, and watch Bones, or the mentalist or NCIS ! 

And it doesn’t prevent me from sleeping !

Hello, my name is Axelle and I don’t clean my kitchen everyday.

Hello Axelle …

When I started blogging and took pictures and saw, in the background , vegetables peelings, dirty dishes in the double sink, messy cooker, oil traces on the work top, I began to clean between each picture.

That’s what I did for some weeks. Then I found the solution : No need to keep a sponge in hand all the time. Just learn to focus better with your camera.

Now, I capture only the mixture or the dish. This way, you can’t see the rest of my kitchen.

That’s’ what imperfect women do. Or maybe all bloggers …

Today, I’m going to share with you my recipes of meringues.

For years, I never dared to bake meringues. For me, better being a real baker to bake meringues.

Then I found this recipe. And my life has changed !

I found this on internet and this recipe was really called like this : “meringues pour les nuls”.

The woman who posted it said : “I’m hopeless in baking yet I never spoil those meringues.”

So, why not me ?

And it was true. Ok, they are not as fluffy as in a bakery. But they are well for a diner or just a will of sugar, believe me ! 

Your oven must be preheated at 120°C (Th 4 / 250°F)

You'll need for 20 little meringues :

• 4 eggs
• 250 grammes of white sugar
• 1 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of vanilla liquid)
• A pinch of salt.

Step 1 :

Carefully, separate white from yolks and add a pinch of salt in the whites.

Aaaaarghh, I'm not a cleaner and I'm not a photographer !! 

I absolutely have to make a diet for hands.

Step 2 : 

Whisk whites until they become tough.

To know if they are ready, you can turn your pan upside down. If they don't fall, they are good ! If not, take other eggs...

Step 3 : 

Cut your pod in two and, with a knife's tip, recover the grains and add them to the beaten whites.

Step 4 :

Little by little, whisking each time, pour the sugar until combined. 

Your whisk must look like, what we call "le bec d'oiseau" (bird's beak).

Step 5 : 

With 2 tablespoon, pour some little piles on a baking sheet. No matter the form ! Do it as you can, don't worry.

And put them in the oven for 50 minutes, if you like them a little bit chewy inside, and 1 hour if you prefer them a little more dry inside.

Very important : don't open your oven during the cooking time ! 

After 50 minutes for me, they looked like this : 

Bon appétit ! 

Recapitulative for 20 little meringues :

• 4 eggs
• 250 grammes of white sugar
• 1 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of vanilla liquid)
• A pinch of salt.

Carefully, separate white from yolks and add a pinch of salt in the whites.

Whisk whites until they become tough.

Cut your pod in two and, with a knife's tip, recover the grains and add them to the beaten whites.

Little by little, whisking each time, pour the sugar until combined. 

With 2 tablespoon, pour some little piles on a baking sheet. No matter the form.

And put them in the oven for 50 minutes, if you like them a little bit chewy inside, and 1 hour if you prefer them a little more dry inside.

Very important : don't open your oven during the cooking time !