Why it works: Sugar and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Ordinary Meringues
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Make the meringue
Whisk the egg whites in a copper bowl until very stiff and frothy.
Gradually mix in the sugar using a spoon until thoroughly incorporated.
Shape and bake
Cut sheets of sturdy paper into 2‑inch wide bands.
Using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture and drop it onto the paper, shaping it like an egg.
Space the meringues 1 inch apart on the paper bands.
Dredge sifted sugar over the meringues and let them sit for 3 minutes.
Shake off excess sugar and place the bands on a wet surface.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until light fawn color.
Carefully remove each meringue from the paper and smooth the inside with a spoon.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg whites
- Whisked to a stiff foam that traps air and gives the meringue its structure.
- Sugar
- Stabilises the whisked foam and adds sweetness and crisp browning as it bakes.
The step that matters
Whisking the egg whites until very stiff. Egg whites must be whisked to a firm, stable foam before sugar is added. Under-whisked whites collapse easily, while grease from any yolk or residue prevents them from foaming well, so the meringue loses its volume and shape.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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