Making delicious pastries is hard to imagine without eggs. They fill it with air, and when heated, such muffins and cakes become magnificent. And before the appearance of baking powder, the quality of the finished product depended on well beaten eggs. And in some cases, even today it is impossible to correct the situation if you do not know how to whip the protein into a strong foam. This primarily relates to the preparation of meringues and biscuits.
First of all, you need to prepare all the necessary equipment. There should not be a drop of water or fat on its surface. If at least a little liquid gets into the proteins, they will not be able to beat them. It is best to use a metal bowl and a whisk. Professional confectioners prefer
copper utensils, as they do not absorb foreign fats and odors. But it is better to refuse from an aluminum container, since proteins can turn gray from it. True, at home, the plastic bowl of the combine is usually used. This material has only one drawback - over time, it accumulates fats in itself. Therefore, before whipping the protein into a strong foam in it, it is recommended to degrease the surface by wiping the bowl with a lemon peel.
It is equally important to choose and prepare the eggs themselves. It is advisable to use those that have been at least a week old. The fact is that it’s almost impossible to beat fresh, just laid eggs because of the low protein density in them. But too old will not work either, as the protein dries out over time. Before use, wash the shell in water with soda to get rid of possible parasites. The optimum temperature is 18-23 o , since it is much longer and more difficult to beat the protein into a strong foam from the "hot" eggs. You can often hear that they must first be cooled. Although they whip faster with cold, they are not sufficiently saturated with oxygen, which means that they will quickly settle down and will not give the necessary amount of baking.
Now you need to carefully separate the proteins from the yolks. Most often they do this. Three cups are taken - for proteins, yolks and an intermediate. Break the egg over the last one so that yolk remains in one half and protein in the other. Drain it into the bowl, pouring the mass several times from one part of the shell to another. Pour the yolk into the bowl for them. Check protein for impurities. And only after making sure that they are not there, pour into a clean bowl, since it will not work to beat the squirrel into a strong foam otherwise. Repeat the procedure with the next egg.
First whisk the proteins at low speed until bubbles appear on the surface. Then gradually add sugar in a thin stream. The smaller it is, the more magnificent the mass itself will turn out. True, it is better to add powdered sugar at the very end of whipping, as it dissolves quickly and can produce excess fluid. As soon as the mass has become smooth and shiny, while keeping its shape well, whipping should be stopped. In order to prepare a cream based on it, whipped proteins should be dense, but the peaks left should be soft, bend a little over time. And for meringues, they should be sharp and straight.
Knowing how to whip the squirrels correctly, you can prepare the most delicious desserts.
Meringues, meringue cake and
protein cream in this case will be frequent guests on the table. Moreover, modern technology greatly facilitates this difficult task.