Whipping Egg Whites and Baking Trouble Shooter

Did you know that almost any combination of flour, sugar, shortening, eggs, and liquid will make some kind of delicious food? The secret is understanding how to recognize what you are making and then treating the ingredients in a way that is appropriate for your final product.

For example, you can put a sauce in the blender to make it very smooth, but if you put a meringue in the blender or food processor instead of using an electric mixer or whisk, you will end up being very disappointed. The egg whites in your meringue or souffle need to have a lot of air whipped into them. This can't happen in the blender or food processor. So pull out your electric mixer when you want to whip eggs.

Crack your eggs carefully because even a drop or two of egg yolk will keep the whites from whipping up to full volume. You can probably only whip 10 egg whites at once. If you are making a recipe that calls for more egg whites, whip them in two batches. Again, you need room for the air as well as the eggs. Your whites should be properly whipped when they are very fluffy and make stiff peaks. Keep going if your peaks are floppy and soft.

If you are adding sugar to your egg whites, add it very gradually. If you are folding your egg whites into other ingredients, fold very gently so that you don't lose all that air. The air makes your final product light and puffy. Air is a real ingredient! Treat it gently and you will have a light, airy cake or souffle.


For more tips on baking, take a look at our Baking Trouble Shooter.