Print

Swiss Meringue

Fully whipped swiss meringue.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

Fluffy and ethereal, Swiss Meringue is a versatile confection made up of cooked egg whites and sugar that's whipped up. It's a bit like a spreadable marshmallow and perfect for pies, cakes or baked into little cookies.

Ingredients

  • 3 large egg whites
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 3/4 cups (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

  1. Fill a small, sturdy pot with at least 1 ½ inches of water and turn on the heat to medium-high. This is the bottom of your makeshift double boiler.
  2. In a heatproof bowl (the metal bowl from your electric mixer is perfect here), combine the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Whisk together until fully combined.
  3. Set the bowl over the pot of steaming water. Alternate between whisking the mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula until the egg whites reach a temperature of 160°F and all the sugar has dissolved, roughly between 8 and 10 minutes (see note for troubleshooting).
  4. Remove the mixture from the heat and attach the bowl to an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn the mixer on at the lowest speed, then gradually increase the speed until it reaches medium-high. With the mixer running, add in the vanilla.
  5. Whip until the meringue is glossy and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes. It should have stiff peaks and should be cooled down significantly.
  6. Use immediately.

Notes

Alternating between a whisk and a spatula is useful during the cooking stage because it helps ensure all of the sugar melts. Generally speaking the egg whites should be consistently whisked while they're being heated, but occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure the sugar granules that naturally go up the sides are pushed down to melt. If any sugar granules get stuck to the side of the bowl they could crystalize and create hard granules in your finished meringue.

Meringue is best used immediately. But it can be re-whipped if you need to make it slightly in advance and it has begun to deflate.

Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/swiss-meringue/