Fold in Egg Whites

Folding egg whites into a cake batter for an angel food cake (shown here), a souffle or extra fluffy waffles takes a little practice. The egg whites are incorporated for making a fluffier, lighter batter, and so, care must be used to keep from over mixing the fluffy character of the egg whites away.

Steps

 * 1)  Select very fresh, and very cold eggs.  Choose large or extra large eggs to make separating them easier. The best results are obtained with very fresh eggs, since the protein "strings" that cause the stiffening of the whites break down over time.
 * 2) [[Image:Eggwhites1_975.jpg|200px|right]] Separate the eggs, being careful not to get any yolk or shell pieces mixed in with them.  You can either carefully break the egg shell in half, and hold it over a bowl to allow the egg white to pour out slowly while the yolk remains in the shell, or place the entire egg into a shallow bowl and pour off the white without breaking the yolk.  Either method requires practice.
 * 3)  [[Image:Break_eggs_247.jpg|200px|right]]Allow the egg whites to warm to room temperature. You can save the yolks for another recipe, such as homemade mayonnaise.
 * 4)  [[Image:Eggwhites2_3.jpg|200px|right]]Place the egg white(s) in a straight sided mixing bowl with a rounder bottom, and mix at medium high or high speed with an electric mixer.
 * 5) *Keep the mixer moving around the inside perimeter of the bowl so all the contents are mixed equally and thoroughly.
 * 6) * Beat the whites until they are uniformly white and stiff and form soft peaks.  This is a critical step.
 * 7) * Some cookbooks recommend adding a small amount, usually less than 1/4 teaspoon, of Cream of Tartar to help with the beating.
 * 8)  Put about a third of the whipped egg white into the batter, and mix it in to 'temper' the batter, which will make it easier to mix in the rest of the egg white.
 * 9)  Hold the bowl over the mixing bowl containing your batter, and tilt it so that the egg whites slide out into the batter. Using a large spatula, cut a path down the middle of the mixture with the edge of the spatula.  Then gently turn half the mixture over onto the other half.  Continue cutting down the middle and turning a portion over.  Don't stir.  The purpose of folding is to retain the air you have beaten into the whites. Be careful to only work the batter enough to incorporate the whites, and never use an electric mixer for this step.

Tips

 * Make sure all other ingredients are thoroughly mixed according to the recipe you are using before adding the egg whites.
 * Do not add the egg whites until you are ready to begin cooking your project. Sometimes batters may require refrigeration prior to the actual cooking, but folded egg whites tend to "settle" rather quickly, losing the benefit of having added them to begin with.
 * This will work even better if you use a large metal spoon or a palette knife to "cut" the egg whites into the mixture.
 * Eggs at room temperature whip better than eggs straight out of the fridge.

Warnings

 * Do not contaminate the egg whites with anything prior to beating them - make sure your bowls, spoons and whipping implements are very clean and dry before starting.
 * Always fold the lighter ingredient (egg white) into the heavier ingredient (batter).

Things You'll Need

 * An electric mixer.
 * A large spatula.
 * Mixing bowl.
 * Fresh eggs.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Learn Cooking Basics
 * How to Separate the Yolk from the White Easily
 * How to Make Great Stuffed Egg Whites
 * How to Break an Egg
 * How to Poach an Egg

Sources and Citations

 * http://www.baking911.com/howto/fold.htm
 * http://www.baking911.com/howto/egg_whites_beat.htm