SC - meringue chemistry? probably OOP

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Gerekr at aol.com wrote:
> 
> my husband is highly averse
> (maybe allergic) to vinegar and ascorbic acid.  And this recipe calls for
> lemon juice or cider vinegar!
> 
> Anybody know why?  "to keep the meringue from falling"?  the cookie is
> about a 1/4 inch layer of fudgy, not-too-sweet, brownie-like substance,
> with a cap of meringue above it...

Acids increase the extensibility of certain polymers. Now that answers
your question, doesn't it? ;  ) . When you beat the eggs, albumen in the
white forms itself into strands that are what support the aerated foam
structure. Under certain conditions, like when there's a lot of humidity
or when there's a lot of fat mixed in the egg-white foam too early in
the game, or even when the sugar is mixed in too early, the strands of
protein goo become weaker than they normally would be, and they usually
collapse before the job is done, resulting in pancakes instead of nice
tall meringues.

Often a tiny bit of cream of tartar, which is a common derivative of
tartaric acid, will do the trick. Usually no more than an eighth of a
teaspoon per recipe will do the job.
 
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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