Why does my meringue come out a creamy beige? Shouldn't it be white? If I turn the heat down it doesn't cook. (I just use spare egg whites to make a Pavlova). Thks - Richard
by 
Richard_England
ANSWERS: 2
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In a Pavlova, you combine sugar and egg whites (and vinegar and cornstarch, etc.) to make a meringue. Sugar caramelizes at even fairly low cooking temperatures. That's why it browns. (turns beige) Most of the Pavlovas I have seen DO have a beige tinge to them. That caramelization adds to the flavor. You can try lowering your oven temperature by 25 degrees and increasing your baking time by 20 minutes or so. Also, make sure that your sugar is completely dissolved in the egg whites by rubbing a bit of the meringue between your fingers. If you can feel any grittiness, keep beating. You can also use superfine sugar, or process your sugar for 30 seconds in a food processor before you use it. The white meringues that you see are cooked, but the process is closer to dehydration. They are cooked in a VERY low oven, which is eventually turned off, and then they are left for hours or overnight before they are finished. The object with these is to dry them out and avoid browning. They are difficult to make if the atmosphere is humid.
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I don't know if you've found the answer to your question after all this time or not, but I wanted to offer you some suggestions. I do agree with herbalista that the sugar should be completely dissolved. One way to do this is to either set your eggs out so they are room temperature before making the meringue (some people are afraid to do this, but I've done it for years and never got sick or experienced any problems) or right before you use them let them sit in some warm (not hot) water. This will make them warmer and the sugar will dissolve in them much better.
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