Whip and Fold Egg Whites
Many recipes call for you to “whip” and “fold” eggs. But what does that mean?
Whipping refers to a process where you take eggs whites (meaning absolutely NO egg yolk) and stretch and break the proteins until they can form a structure. This structure can trap air, and is used to help give stuff like muffins that fluffy texture.
Whipping is a deceptively simple process, but you have to do it right. Otherwise, you are wasting time, energy and eggs.
The whipping action is used to aerate the egg whites. That’s why you use a whisk instead of a spoon, to help get in as much air as possible.
Remember not to over whip the eggs. The whole point is to aerate the eggs, not dry them out entirely. If the egg whites are too dry, they will crumble and provide no fluffiness to the batter.
The following video by Everyday Food explains the steps simply and clearly.
Whipping and Folding Into Other Batters
This video demonstrates how to whip eggs by hand and how to properly fold whipped whites into other batters.
Pay attention to how you fold the egg whites into the batter. If you fold it improperly, it will reduce the effectiveness of your whites. A properly whipped egg white is basically a bunch of egg bubbles in your batter, so be very careful not to over-mix the batter, as you will pop all the bubbles.
Want to try whipping and folding egg whites? We have a great french meringue cookie recipe!
cookerynation.com 