Italian Meringue
Creamy, dreamy, oh so smooth and tasty.
Mum always had a knack for making sky-high meringue that was perfect with every bite of her lemon pie, and I can honestly say this recipe gives her peaked perfection a real run for the money.
Italian meringue has a lot of advantages over classic meringue because of its increased stability (no collapsing meringue here!), the fact that it doesn’t weep even after storing in the fridge or room temperature for days. I’ve yet to try it in a pavlova recipe, but it has to be amazing there too!
The flavour is also smoother without any granulated texture, and the touch of lemon and vanilla on the palette will have your guests raving. Mum’s meringue was the stuff of dreams, and this topping is quite simply a dream come true. — CFG
Ingredients
3 egg whites at room temperature
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of water
1/2 tsp of cream of tartar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp clear vanilla extract
Tips for success before you begin:
Make sure egg whites are room temperature
Have all ingredients measured out and ready to go
Prepare your mixing bowl with a white vinegar rinse to ensure it’s clear of any residue
Directions
Place 3 room temperature egg whites in a stand mixer with whisk attachment in place. Set aside.
Place 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and place on medium heat for about 5 minutes without stirring.
After 5 minutes, gently stir the sugar water mixture for about 1 minute until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Continue cooking for 4-5 minutes; the mixture will begin to lightly bubble. Increase the heat to medium-high and stop stirring. Allow the mixture to come to a boil until it reaches 230F. (240F is your goal.)
Once mixture reaches 230F, turn on the stand mixer to highest setting to whip egg whites into peaks (about 5-6 minutes).
Once the sugar syrup reaches 240F, remove from heat and allow boiling to reduce to a slow bubble.
Using a steady stream, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites.
Add 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, and 1 tsp of clear vanilla extract to the mixture.
Whisk for another 4-5 minutes until peaks are stiff. The meringue can be transferred to a container and place in fridge for later storage (up to 5 days) or at room temperature (up to 3 days).
