Whip it Good: Make Perfect French Meringue - Bake from Scratch (2024)

FAQs

What are the 6 tips in making perfect meringue? ›

Over whip the egg whites and you risk making them too firm and they will risk losing the moisture that they hold. This will affect your meringue's crispness, as well as making it more likely to collapse or weep beads of sugar. As my meringue guru Gary Mehigan advises: “If you over whip the egg whites you cannot fix it.

Beat to soft peaks on medium-high speed. Gradually add the sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until it has all been incorporated. Continue beating until glossy, stiff peaks form. At this point, you can't overbeat the meringue, so keep beating until you've got those glossy, firm peaks!

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an excellent way to foolproof your meringue. Use it to create added fluff and keep your hard-won volume from shrinking. Cream of Tartar: Often added in when making meringues, acidic cream of tartar provides lift and stabilization.

Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy–about one minute. Next, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 1 to 3 minutes until soft peaks form and the whites are shiny. Don't rush this step.

Turn the whisk around and examine the bottom of the meringue that was collected on the whisk. It should have soft but distinct formed waves on the bottom. If the meringue is chunky, the waves are chunky, or there are too many little hard peaks all over the meringue, that means you've over whipped.

Besides sugar, there are several other tools that can help in meringue stabilization. I employ three of them in my less-sweet pie meringue: acid, starch, and gelatin. Acid: Adding acid (typically cream of tartar, but can also be vinegar or lemon juice) lowers the pH of the egg whites.

You will know when you have a stiff peak when you can hold the bowl right over your head and the mixture stays in. Or, a less risky way of testing is, as you have done before, whisk in the mixture then turn it upside down. The peak should be stiff shiny and really, really white, like a silky vinyl white emulsion paint.

If your meringue has turned out runny, it means the egg whites haven't been whipped enough to create a stiff enough batter. Egg whites are best whipped with a wire whisk to create a frothy foam. When this foam is thick enough, it will create a stable structure as you fold in the sugar and other ingredients.

A meringue is done baking when it releases easily when gently lifted from the baking sheet. If it's close, keep checking every 5 to 10 minutes.

What is the secret to perfect meringue? ›

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

Use ultrafine Baker's Sugar for meringues and other baked goods – it dissolves faster than regular granulated sugar. Use ultrafine Baker's Sugar to help prevent “weeping” or sogginess. Meringues will weep if there's any undissolved sugar. Don't put granulated sugar in a food processor to achieve a finer grain.

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

I use a star-shaped tip for my vanilla meringues (Ateco #848), which pipes in deep, dramatic ridges. To fill the pastry bag easily, lower it into a tall glass or vase and fold the edges of the bag over the rim. This will hold it in place for hands-free filling.

You will know when you have a stiff peak when you can hold the bowl right over your head and the mixture stays in. Or, a less risky way of testing is, as you have done before, whisk in the mixture then turn it upside down. The peak should be stiff shiny and really, really white, like a silky vinyl white emulsion paint.