Styles of Meringue
Meringue is a popular dessert made out of whipped egg whites and caster sugar. Meringue is often spooned on top of a crusty base to create a tart, or incorporated into a baked Alaska, Eton mess or key lime pie. There are several techniques used to make different styles of meringue, each being named after its country of origin. Does this Spark an idea?
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Italian Meringue
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Sugar is heated to form a syrup. Italian meringue uses sugar which is heated to create a sugar syrup mixture. The hot syrup is poured into the egg whites and whipped. Italian meringue does not need to be cooked, and it creates a lighter meringue than the Swiss and French methods of preparation.
French Meringue
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A whisk is used to beat the egg whites. French meringue is one of the most popular methods for making this dessert. It involves whisking fine white caster sugar into egg whites. The mixture is then immediately baked in an oven.
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Swiss Meringue
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A bain-marie or waterbath gently heats the egg whites. Swiss meringue uses a more time-consuming method, which involves heating the egg whites in a water bath to pasteurize them. Sugar is whipped into the pasteurized egg mixture until it has cooled. It is then baked in an oven.
Vegan Meringues
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Vegan meringue alternatives are available. People following a vegan diet cannot eat meringues because of the egg whites they contain. There are several vegan-friendly meringue styles, including replacing the egg-whites with soy protein isolate or various nut mylks.
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References
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