Recipe(tried): Tricks for Making Meringues

Hi,

I have not made those personaly but my father has an old familly italian meringe recipe. Several things:

* It works better with confectionner's sugar

* I think you need double the sugar amount than what's in your recipe

* you need to start adding the sugar a soon as the eggs start foaming, and add it fast enough that you are not over-whisking them.

* you may want to try a big tablespoon to make the drops instead of a teaspoon, it will help the meringe retain their shape, and cook them a little longer

* If the pecans are what is causing the problems, you can maybe put then on the cookie sheet, then drop the meringue batter on top of it.

One great trick if you've got a handheld electric whisk ( or a non-electrik one with a good arm), is to beat the eggs on a double boiler, not too warm but just enough so the whites start to cook as you beat them. The bes tis if you can put your bowl on a boiling saucepan without the bottom of the bowl touching the water, the steam is enough. This ensure that they don't fluff down once you put them in the oven.

Another trick is to have the oven as low as you can, an bke the meringues for at least half an hour.

Hope this helps, let me know how it goes.