Meringue

Meringue (French meringue) is a light, airy dessert made of egg whites whipped into a fluffy white foam with sugar. This simple but capricious base lies at the heart of countless desserts. By method of preparation three classic kinds of meringue are distinguished.

French meringue is the simplest: the whites are whipped, gradually adding sugar. Swiss meringue is whipped over a water bath, warming the whites with sugar — it is denser and more stable. Italian meringue is made by pouring hot sugar syrup into the whites — it is the most stable and glossy, used for creams and decoration. Depending on the use, meringue is either dried in the oven at a low temperature until it becomes fully dry, brittle, and crisp (as stand-alone pastries or a cake base), or left tender and chewy inside. The secret of successful meringue lies in the cleanliness of the vessel (no fat!), the freshness of the whites, and the gradual addition of sugar. On the base of meringue countless desserts are made: pastries, the Pavlova cake, the Kyiv cake, lemon meringue tart, macarons, decoration. Tender, sweet, melt-in-the-mouth, meringue is the embodiment of airy lightness in confectionery.