meringues.

I remember the first time I made lemon meringue pie. I was in complete shock at how beautiful it came out, and how easy it was to make! The lemon filing was like magic when it thickened, and the meringue was amazing!

Later on, I got addicted to cupcakes and during my diet (of eating pratically nothing) I started dreaming about cupcakes, and my lemon meringue cupcakes in particular. So I decided I was going to make them for Daniels recital. Well I dont know what happened from the first time to here, but I could not get my meringue to stiffen. I literally went through 3 dozen eggs until there I was, sweating, on the verge of tears with 3 hours left til I needed to set up his reception and here comes Daniel, riding in on his white horse, coming to the rescue. Well we finally got them to sort of stiffen and just said the hell with it, and served them. They were a huge hit, and I think I lost 10 years from my life that night. 

Then 3 nights ago I wanted dessert and all we had were eggs, so I decided why not make meringues! They always look so good and I've never had them so here we go! Finished the mixing, followed directions precisely and, extremely liquidy... I had a little tantrum and through it in the sink. 

Yesterday I tried, tried again. And again soft mounds formed, thats all, no stiff peaks. Fed up I went to the internet. 

Why is my f*ing meringue not stiffening?!?! 

Heat your eggs, add cream of tartar, more sugar, no oil, to much liquid...nothing applied to me.

But then! Light at the end of the tunnel:

Are you using a plastic bowl?

Why, yes! Yes I am!!

Well you're an idiot!

....

Apparently plastic bowls, according to a yahoo user, "have a very similar chemical structure to fat, and fat prohibits meringue from becoming stiff." DING DING DING! 

So here we go (again), with a GLASS BOWL!

Ingredients in, lets begin the mixing. 

Look at those soft mounds

Add sugar and...Holy crap! It actually worked!

Pipe those babies out!

2 hours later!

I love these!! They are sugary, and airy, and just wonderful!

Meringues

by The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

Ingredients

2 large eggs- whites only (room temp if possible)

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

NOT plastic bowl

1. Preheat the oven to 225F. 
2. Place the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat until soft mounds begin to form. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff but still glossy. (Dry and cottony=bad. You lose, start again!)
3. Either pipe or spoon meringues on parchment papered baking sheets, set in oven, and cook for 1 hour, rotating the pans and switching shelves halfway through.
4. Leave the meringues in the oven for another hour to dry out.