54
votes
Accepted
What caused my meringue to fall after adding cocoa?
It was timing. If you want to make chocolate meringues, add the cocoa powder to the liquid egg whites, and then whisk it all together at once.
Beaten egg whites are bubbles. Don't add things to ...
- 1,870
25
votes
Which meringue is safe to eat without baking?
As you're in the UK, they're all safe. Raw egg is safe according to the NHS
Because of improved food safety controls in recent years, infants, children, pregnant women and elderly people can now ...
- 45.8k
16
votes
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Can raw eggs be made safe with hot sugar in an Italian meringue?
For the pasteurization of egg whites, the time required is at most 48 seconds at 140 F (60 C). (Source: FSIS, table on page 39)
This means that you can easily use the method to know if you've ...
- 141k
12
votes
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How to know when meringue has been over-whipped?
The sad fact is: you usually know it when, half an hour after you are done whipping it, it floats in a puddle of liquid.
The problem is that it actually continues changing after you have stopped ...
- 141k
9
votes
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Which meringue is safe to eat without baking?
Considering the three main types of meringue (ignoring the 'vegan meringue' made with aquafaba), you would not eat French meringue without baking because it contains uncooked egg. While salmonella-...
- 4,884
8
votes
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Can you safely torch a meringue topping instead of baking it?
Yes you can - if you make the right kind of meringue.
There are three types that vary in the preparation process:
French (or classic) meringue
Where egg whites are simply beaten with fine sugar.
...
- 61.4k
6
votes
What caused my meringue to fall after adding cocoa?
The problem here is partially timing but mostly the second whipping; it's better to fold-in dry ingredients rather than whip into an already formed meringue.
The cocoa added to the whipped egg white ...
- 183
5
votes
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If the egg whites are old, is it safe to make Italian meringue?
In short, if they are safe to eat cooked still they are likely safe to eat in a meringue.
There is a higher chance of salmonella on the outside of shell than the inside. 2 Weeks for eggs in the ...
- 226
5
votes
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Îles flottantes vs. oeufs à la neige
The short answer appears to be: îles flottantes and oeufs à la neige are two different names for one dish.
First of all, you can find some recipes, in English and in French, using the names ...
- 2,545
5
votes
What is the Key Difference Between Nougat and Meringue?
The basic difference is consistency: meringue tends to be lighter, airier, and drier, while nougat is more chewy.
This is achieved by different ratios of sugar to egg whites. Nougat has significantly ...
- 8,373
5
votes
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How to avoid holes in Chiffon cake?
You may want to run a knife gently through the batter to pop any large air bubbles before baking. While not included in all chiffon/angle food cake recipes, directions to remove large air pockets by ...
- 5,616
5
votes
Accepted
Can I rescue unwhippable cocoa-meringue?
Foams are indeed very sensitive to the structural properties of the materials present. I can't say what exactly in the cocoa powder prevented it from whipping, but no, if it doesn't beat up to a foam, ...
- 141k
5
votes
Can raw eggs be made safe with hot sugar in an Italian meringue?
I would not consider this "pasteurization," which has a specific meaning in food science, but the method of "cooking" sugar to around 240°F or 116°C and threading it into an egg ...
- 5,154
4
votes
Keeping cream pies set while browning meringue topping
There could be a few things going on here:
If it is the meringue that is not holding - you probably need to beat it longer (stiff peaks will hold in bowl if turned upside down for a short time) and ...
- 16.9k
4
votes
How can I stop my pavlova from "leaking"?
The most common reasons I know are:
Preparing when humidity is high. Tough to avoid when you are on a schedule like wanting it for an occasion. But in my experience, having an oven that circulates ...
- 8,682
4
votes
Accepted
Why is my meringue soft, moist and discoloured?
One thing that can affect meringues is humidity. I find that I have to bake them at nearly twice as long in the summer to get them to dry out completely.
- 10.6k
4
votes
Can you safely torch a meringue topping instead of baking it?
What country are you in? In the UK, salmonella has now been virtually eliminated from egg production and the latest advice is that eggs produced in the UK are safe to eat uncooked, even for pregnant ...
- 445
4
votes
Can you safely torch a meringue topping instead of baking it?
Stephie's answer is great. I'd just add a couple thoughts:
Swiss meringue can be safe too, but you'd have to verify the temperature the egg whites are brought to over the water bath. With good ...
- 33.3k
4
votes
Separating egg yolks the night before beating meringue
Yes, that's fine - if you take a few precautions.
Once you have opened your eggs, you are exposing the contents to the air. So need to protect the eggs from drying out: A matching small jar or ...
- 61.4k
4
votes
Italian meringue: how to adjust sugar?
Generally speaking, I think experimentation is the way to go. There are a lot of recipes for Italian meringue (and Italian meringue frostings) you can try to see what effect the different sugar ...
- 5,217
4
votes
Accepted
What are the Purposes of the Types of Meringue that are used for Pastry?
great question.
first of all, each meringue originated from a different culture and as such is more prevalent within recipes of that culture. more modern recipes might choose to use a different ...
- 56
4
votes
Broil meringue cookies?
I would just heat the oven with broil. Then switch if off, wait until temperature drop to around 110-120C and put meringue in. Then just wait until oven cool off.
Tat way the inside would be chewy, ...
- 4,109
4
votes
What should the texture of meringue be in a lemon meringue pie?
This is one of those questions to which there are as many answers as there are chefs ;)
Personally, I would say - you want all three, at different depths in your meringue.
The peaks should be browned &...
- 29.9k
4
votes
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Should you stream sugar into French meringue?
The main thing about French meringue is that it is very prone to weeping. And this is exactly what the sugar addition techniques address.
When you add the sugar late, as in streaming it after it has ...
- 141k
3
votes
Accepted
What is the Key Difference Between Nougat and Meringue?
The key difference is that Meringue is mixed/whipped sweetened egg whites; while nougat is sugar/honey mixed with egg whites and other ingredients (nuts)
- 20.5k
3
votes
How do I add flavor to this amazing looking dish?
These look like a recipe I've seen going around recently called cloud eggs, with the yolk nesting in well-beaten whites like it's sitting in a cloud. (I'm only including that name because it may be ...
- 8,373
3
votes
Incorporating Italian meringue into mousse
I'm not sure it's possible to overbeat the meringue (not without falling asleep while doing it), so I don't think that could would be the main cause of a failed mousse.
On the other hand, it's ...
- 930
3
votes
Accepted
Icing a cake with meringue: can it be done in advance?
This is a pretty tricky question to answer without knowing what the climate is like in your area.
Meringue is hygroscopic (absorbs water easily) due to the high concentration of sugars in the ...
- 16.9k
3
votes
Should you stream sugar into French meringue?
Personally, this is the sort of situation that I think is fantastic for experimentation. My recommended medium would be a chiffon cake that depends on whipped egg whites for structure. Keeping every ...
- 5,217
2
votes
Meringue Imitation to practice decoration
they make this stuff called Presto Pastry Pride ready to whip topping. It's pretty similar in consistency and can be piped very well. It's also pretty great as frosting. I think it would be perfect ...
- 1,119
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