So you’ve got all of your ingredients out and you’re ready to tackle that recipe. You almost done and then you read “fold gently into the batter” and you panic. What? “What’s this folding business? I’m not folding sheets or clothes! OMG what if it’s like folding a fitted sheet?!?!” LOL relax, it’s not that tough. Well okay the whole folding a fitted sheet thing is something I have never mastered. However I am the queen of start with a fold and end up kinda rolling it into a ball. What? Don’t judge me… you do it too! I’ve seen your linen closet *wink*
However don’t fret. Most recipes today take for granted that we all know certain terminology – chiffonade this herb, julienne these carrots, mise en place, fold in and so forth. For now we’ll talk about folding in egg whites, why we do it and more importantly, how to do it. When you fold in egg whites, you’re incorporating beaten whites into other ingredients without compromising the airiness of the beaten whites. Folding egg whites properly ensures success with dishes like soufflé, mousse, angel food cake, and more. It allows them to be light and airy. More importantly, folding egg whites isn’t the same as stirring, and it takes a gentle touch, so you take your time and fold in slowly and gently.
Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer – Folding ingredients
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Ingredients
- Egg whites
- A spatula with the widest and most flexible blade that you own
- Large bowl
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks.
- Have your batter that you need to fold the egg whites into in a large bowl.
- Using a spatula with a wide flexible blade, GENTLY incorporate the egg whites or whipped cream into the batter with a scooping-and-folding motion.
- Place a third of the egg whites into the batter.
- Starting at the back of the bowl cut down vertically through the egg whites and batter across the bottom of the bowl and up the nearest side.
- Rotate the bowl a quarter turn with each series of strokes. This down-across-up-and-over motion gently turns the mixtures over on top of each other, combining them in the process.
- Incorporate the rest of the egg whites trying hard not to deflate it. Essentially you want to trap the air bubbles in the batter without popping them. By doing that you will end up with a very light and airy result.
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