Italian meringue

Heat the sugar syrup slowly

Heat the sugar syrup slowly, until the sugar is fully dissolved into the water, before turning the heat up. If it’s not fully dissolved it could crystallise and you’ll need to start again.

Make sure the sugar syrup is the correct temperature

It’s important to take the sugar syrup up to 120C before adding to the egg whites (use a sugar thermometer) – it will ensure the egg whites are fully cooked out (so the meringues need no further cooking), as well as maintaining a strong structure once cooled. One of Italian meringue’s best properties is that it can be made several hours before use – taking the sugar to the correct stage and whisking it into the egg makes it extremely stable, preventing collapse, so you can make it ahead and keep it at room temperature until use.

Combine meringue ingredients steadily

How you add the sugar syrup to the egg whites is also important. It needs to be added in a thin, steady stream, while whisking, to ensure it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture and also doesn’t cool too much before it’s added. Pour it in too slowly and the syrup will thicken and harden, which may leave sugar clumps; or too fast and it wont be fully incorporated into the mix and it could create lumps or even cause the mixture to lose its stiff peaks. Also, avoid pouring it directly onto the beaters as this will fling the sugar syrup to the edge of the bowl and prevent it from being incorporated properly or could even seize the beaters themselves.

Don't over-whisk

Once all of the sugar syrup is in, continue to whisk the mixture until it turns into the shiniest, silkiest meringue you’ve ever made. Be careful not to over-whisk, however, as the mixture can begin to trap air making it voluminous like marshmallow but no longer smooth.

Italian meringue recipe