Helpful Hints from Leslie

Love these helpful hints on baking from Leslie Christiansen . . .

Egg whites beat up better if they are warmed a little before being whipped. After separating the eggs, place the egg whites in a heat-proof bowl.
I use my mixing bowl, since it's made of metal.
Place a small amount of water in a saucepan and heat it to a simmer- not boiling. (Your mixing bowl can not touch the simmering water, or it will cook the egg whites.)
Place your mixing bowl over the simmering water and use a wire whisk to whip the egg whites until they are the temperature of bath water. It only takes about 45 seconds.
You can use a clean finger to test the temperature of the egg whites.
Now make the meringues (or what ever else you are baking) with your warm egg whites- they will whip up beautifully.

And a tip on baking with whole eggs:
Along the same line, whole eggs are better in baking if not super cold from the refrigerator, too.
This is easier to achieve: Simply place the eggs, still in their shells, in a bowl and cover them with bathwater-warm water. After about 5 minutes, they are ready removed from the water and used in baking.