Easy Meringue Recipe From Scratch (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good meringue? ›

Don't overbeat egg whites. (Overbeaten egg whites will look hard, lumpy or dry). When whipping egg whites, always start your mixer on low medium-low to medium speed. Beat them until foamy and increase the speed to medium-high and then to high.

French (Simple) Meringue

This is the most common and easiest to make of the meringues and is known as an 'uncooked' meringue. Egg whites are whisked until soft peaks form. The sugar is then gradually whisked in, a large spoonful at a time, until fully incorporated and it has dissolved.

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.

If you add the sugar too quickly then the mixture will never acquire the stiff consistency you want. You also need to be careful if you've used extra ingredients to flavour your meringues. Oils (such as those in nuts or zest) and liquids can stop the egg whites from stiffening, so you have to experiment with amounts.

How it's Made: The simplest, lightest, and least stable of the three is a French Meringue. Egg whites are whipped with granulated sugar until stiff, without heating the mixture. This meringue type is always baked and has a wonderfully crisp exterior and a chewy interior.

There are three basic types of meringue: French, Swiss, and Italian. While they all use egg whites as the primary ingredient, each style has its unique preparation method that affects its texture and taste.

cream of tartar is your meringue “MVP”!

A good rule of thumb is to add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every 2 egg whites, and add it just before you add your sugar!

Two common types of meringue are French and Swiss. The main ingredients are the same, but the techniques are varied, resulting in differences of texture, stability and best uses in desserts. Read on and watch our video to learn how to make French and Swiss meringues.

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.

Is it better to use granulated or powdered sugar for meringue? ›

It can be made with any sugar. One cup of superfine sugar or packed brown sugar is equal to 1 cup of granulated sugar; 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar equals 1 cup granulated. Superfine sugar may dissolve more readily and produce a smoother glossier meringue, but volume will not be as great.

Keep in mind that more cream of tartar doesn't necessarily mean a better, more stable result. “Too much cream of tartar will impart a metallic, tin-like taste,” Molly warns.

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.

After the cream of tartar is added increase the mixer speed to medium. When you start to see tracks form you can start adding your sugar - a little bit at a time. Once all the sugar is added increase the mixer speed to high. Keep beating until stiff peaks form.

If the peaks are too soft when you add sugar, the meringue mixture risks being sloppy and will never thicken. A word of warning though: if you whisk past the stiff peak stage, the proteins will start to break up, making a watery mess that can't be saved.

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 start on speed 2 of the KitchenAid (low speed) for about 30 seconds, then I increase to speed 4 (medium-low) and whip for another 2 minutes or so, and I finish whipping the meringue on speed 6 (medium) until done, which can take another 10 minutes or so.