Maybe the meringue is almost to stiff peaks, but it just won’t come to stiff peaks. Or will it simply not go beyond the weak peaks?
Fat is ALWAYS the culprit.
This is why we have to take every single precaution to ensure there is no fat contamination. Even if there is butter or oil in the bowl where you measured the sugar, it will go into the egg whites and prevent stiff peaks from forming.
If the meringue had stiff peaks that deflated after using a spatula or spoon, unfortunately the spatula or spoon contained grease that altered the structure of the meringue.
The fat molecules will destroy the matrix created by the egg proteins to create a stable meringue foam. Even a small interruption can cause a chain reaction and destabilize the entire meringue foam.
This happens when the meringue is whipped too much. With the right amount of sugar, the occurrence of curdling is not very common.
But if you reduce the amount of sugar and beat the meringue too long, this can lead to a lumpy, curdled, dry-looking meringue.
Egg whites may also curdle during the heating phase. To avoid this, it is important to keep the egg white mixture constantly moving with a whisk. This helps distribute the heat evenly and prevents the egg white from cooking and solidifying.
Unfortunately not. Meringue cannot be prepared in advance for later use.
Since Swiss meringue is not cooked, the foam will destabilize over time. The Swiss meringue may still be usable for about an hour, but it will start to dry out and look lumpy as it sits. Therefore, I recommend using the meringue as soon as possible after preparing it. It will be smoother, shinier and more stable for piping.
That said, if you top the cake with Swiss meringue, it can stay for a few hours! Already cooked meringue will be fine for a few hours!
YES! This recipe makes 4 large egg whites. But you can also do it with 1 egg white.
However, you may not be able to use a food processor for smaller quantities and will need to use an electric mixer instead.
You can also double the recipe, as long as your mixer can handle the amount of meringue it will create. For a standard mixer, I don’t recommend making Swiss meringue with more than 6 egg whites.
Remember that egg whites have the ability to expand up to 8 times in volume!
You can! I usually only bake French meringue to make meringue cookies, but Swiss meringue can also be baked.
Cook at a low temperature to allow the meringue to dry out slowly. Unlike French meringue, Swiss meringue doesn’t expand much when baked. For this reason the shape and edges are more visible and it is excellent for decorating baked meringues.
Yes, you can also use carton egg whites to make meringue. Canned liquid egg whites are pasteurized, so you don’t need to heat them to 170 F.
Simply heat the egg whites with the sugar to 140 – 150 F, until the sugar dissolves. Then proceed with the recipe.
The most important tip I can give you is to measure liquid egg whites correctly. 30g or 30ml per egg white and also use the right amount of sugar.
