Italian meringue

Syrup-stabilized egg whites

Italian meringue is made by pouring hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites, cooking them as they're beaten.

This produces a more stable, silkier meringue than the French method of simply whipping sugar into raw whites.

Italian meringue holds its shape longer and is used for buttercreams, mousses, and torched toppings like baked Alaska.

technique

sugar syrup

Dissolved sweetener in water

egg whitesClear ovoid protein
beatingRepeated striking or pulsing
stiff peaksRigid whipped foam stage

candy thermometer · streaming · tempering · whipping · stabilized · piping · torching · folding · pastry bag · stand mixer

desserts

buttercream

Whipped sugar-fat frosting

macaronsFrench filled meringue cookies
pavlovaMeringue base, cream, fruit
floating islandsMeringue atop custard

mousse · soufflé · frosting · icing · filling · layer cakes · petit fours · bombes

science

pasteurized

Heat-treated for safety

stabilityResistance to displacement
denaturationStructural breakdown of proteins
emulsionBlended immiscible liquids

heat treatment · albumin · aeration

texture

glossy

Smooth and shiny

silkySmooth and lustrous
smoothWithout roughness or difficulty
stableSecure and unchanging

voluminous · airy · fluffy · dense · firm · satiny · lustrous · sheen · pillowy · stiff

Categories

meringues
whipped foodswhipped cream, whipped butter, whipped topping, whipped egg whites, Cool Whip
cake decoratingfondant, piping bag, piping tips, buttercream, ganache

Opposites

meringue preparation method

Italian meringueFrench meringue

Uncooked whipped egg-sugar foam

Family

Italy, Italian, Italianate, italicize, italics, meringue

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Rated G