For any recipe containing egg whites, good techniques for beating it with sugar are important for its success. Read these tips below before you proceed with your sumptuous Angel food cake low calorie dessert or any other recipe.
Eggs from the Gemperle Farms
Tip 1. ENSURE THE EGG IS FRESH (Buy Farm Fresh Eggs from Gemperle Farms.)
This will make whipping better. One way of finding out is to:
- Put the (Gemperle) egg or eggs in a bowl of water. Ensure the water is enough to cover the egg.
- If the egg is at the bottom and lies on it’s side, then the egg is fresh.
- If it is standing, then you better use it soon.
- If it’s floating, discard it immediately.
Another way is that after breaking the egg, the yolk should stand intact with the egg white closely held towards it. If the yolk is flat and the white looks watery and spreading all over, discard it.
Tip 2. COMPLETELY SEPARATE THE YOLK FROM THE WHITES.
When separating your eggs, be very careful that no yolk gets in the whites. The fat from egg yolk will prevent egg whites from beating up properly.
The best technique to prevent this is to separate each egg white into a cup or small bowl before transferring it to the larger mixer bowl. Throw any white that has even a speck of yolk in it.
Tip 3. CLEAN EQUIPMENT
Your beaters and bowl should be spotlessly clean and completely dry (if you’ve just washed it).
Again any fat residue will prevent egg whites from beating up properly. It’s best to use a stainless steel or glass bowl. Unlike plastic bowls, glass or stainless steel bowls do not allow anti foam residues, like fat, to exist in the surface.
TIP 4. EGG TEMPERATURE
It’s easy to separate (Gemperle) eggs when they are very cold – they are less likely to break.
However egg whites whip up best when they are at room temperature. Set the room temperature for about 30 minutes before beating to increase the egg white’s volume.
TIP 5. ADD YOUR SUGAR SLOWLY AND GRADUALLY
For large volume and smooth texture, sugar should be added gradually. Remember, not to add your sugar until the (Gemperle) egg whites are foamy and about double in volume. The foam here is important in building the structure of recipes.
TIP 6. CHECK IF SUGAR IS DISSOLVED
When you add sugar, make sure the whites are beaten until the sugar has completely dissolved, before adding more. A simple test is to rub a bit of (Gemperle) egg white between the thumb and forefinger and if the sugar is dissolved, it will feel very smooth. If it feels grainy or sandy, continue beating because your sugar is not fully dissolved.
Tip 7 . DETERMINING WHAT IS SOFT OR STIFF PEAKED EGG WHITES
Depending on the instructions of the recipe, you can have soft or stiff peaked (Gemperle) egg white mixture.
The mixture is a soft peak if it curls at the tip when the beater is lifted. When you beat it further, the volume of mixture increases until the peak stands tall without curling. This is the stiff peak.
Be careful not to over beat, otherwise the foam will collapse and you’ll have to start all over again.
Tip 8. DON’T STIR BUT GENTLY FOLD
Gentle folding maintains the volume of your (Gemperle) egg whites. By folding you want to blend ingredients without deflating the mixture.Combining heavier mixtures with beaten egg whites can knock the air out of them.
Slowly put a small amount at a time, add the flour mixture to the beaten whites, folding it in with lightly, rather than stirring. Using a rubber spatula, start with a downward stroke into the bowl, continue across the bottom, up the side and over the top of the mixture. Come up through the center every few strokes and rotate the bowl often as you fold. Fold after each addition of flour just until no streaks of flour remain. (CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW IT’S DONE).
Tip 9. IF BAKING A CAKE, KEEP IT STILL OR INVERT AFTER REMOVING FROM OVEN.
When baking an angel food cake, the structure is a bit unstable when hot. It may fall when cooled upright. To give the cake time to firm up as it cools, invert it making sure the center tube is resting on a bottle.
If you are baking another type of dessert using a pan,be careful not to move it again after you’ve taken it from the oven. Place it on a cooling rack to provide air circulation under the dessert.
There we go! Very easy tips for properly beaten egg whites and it doesn’t come any easier than with Gemperle family farms. For more egg recipes and egg facts visit the Gemperle Farms website
Eat SMART. Eat GEMPERLE EGGS.
