A french meringue is an ingredient made from what animal product whipped to stiff peaks

Different Kinds of Meringue: How to Make French Meringue

Yay! I did it! I finished my post on French meringue! Finally… I was a bit worried I was never gonna get it done. Not that writing about French meringue is hard or anything, it’s just that… well, um… Wait, let’s not bore you with the predicament-that-is-my-thesis again.

It’s getting kinda old…

Let’s just focus on the French meringue! This is actually the last post of my series: ‘The Different Kinds of Meringue‘ (and yes, I’m still proud of that title). In the past, I’ve dedicated series to buttercream, dulce de leche, caramelized white chocolate and pie crusts. I really enjoy doing series, can you tell? They are the perfect way to nourish my inner nerd without diving head first into a full-on panic attack, which is what happens to me when I attempt to do thesis-related nerdy things these days.

Oh, wait! I’m doing it again! Damn thesis…

Where was I… In case you missed it, the first post of this series was about Swiss Meringue, which is marshmallowy and dreamy. In the second post of the series I discussed Italian meringue, which is light and fluffy. If you haven’t read these first two posts yet, go do it now! Like: now, now, now! There’s important stuff in there. Like how to best freeze leftover yolks …

Read it? Good. On with the French meringue.

Oh, and you’ll need ingredients of course!

Luckily, you don’t have to be obnoxiously exact about it. Phew… Just know that traditionally, in baking, one egg white is said to weigh 33g (which is 33ml, or just over 2 tablespoons in volume). So keep that in mind when you decide to use baby eggs or those Godzilla eggs, because the egg white to sugar ratio determines the volume, strength and density of the finished meringue.

Anyway, what else do you need to make French meringue? You guessed it: sugar!

So tip of the day : if you happen to have a jar of molasses in your pantry, use a drop or two (less than ¼ teaspoon) to flavor your meringue! It’s soooo good!

Or should I say: dissolved sugar means stability?

The sugar can only strengthen the bubble walls if it’s dissolved into the liquid egg whites. Aka: when you’re making a meringue, it’s really important that the sugar properly dissolves into the egg whites.

When you’re make a Swiss meringue, you dissolve the sugar by combining the sugar and egg whites in a bowl and gently heating the mixture over a double boiler. The heat ensures that the sugar dissolves beautifully. When you’re make an Italian meringue, you dissolve the sugar in water and then cook it into a syrup. So no undissolved sugar crystals in that meringue either! Which brings me to the problem of French meringue: the sugar isn’t dissolved first. This can lead to a number of problems, such as a grainy or weepy meringue. So, to end up with a well-structured meringue that won’t start leaking, it is important that the sugar gets a chance to dissolve properly! Now, you can just take your chances with the sugar you have on hand, but it’s really easy to take a few precautions and make sure you end up with a gorgeous meringue.

First of all, get your hands on a fine type of granulated sugar, with small sugar crystals. You can buy fine granulated sugar in most supermarkets, but you can also use a food processor to break your regular granulated sugar down into smaller crystals.

Another thing I like to do when I make French meringue is spreading the sugar onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and heating the sugar in the oven until the edges of the sugar are just beginning to melt. Sure, this means firing up your oven, but I think that it’s totally worth it! It really helps to dissolve the sugar and create a gorgeously glossy, fluffy meringue!

Oh, and don’t be tempted to use powdered or icing sugar. These sugars are usually mixed with a small amount of cornstarch to keep it from caking in the container. You don’t want that in your meringue…

So how do you make French meringue?

Parfait! (Which is French for ‘perfect’).

Oh wait, first rub a bit of the meringue between your fingers to make sure there are no undissolved sugar crystals left. The meringue should not feel gritty. Undissolved sugar crystals promote weeping. So, if the meringue feels grainy, mix a few minutes more. Once the meringue is smooth, it probably holds stiff peaks, which is perfect for piping kisses or nests!

So here it is: French meringue!

So that’s it! The last post of my meringue series. I really hope you enjoyed the series as much as I did!

Oh, and stay tuned for my recipe for Chocolate Swirl Meringues with a Hint of Cinnamon! They’re so good!

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How to Make Meringue (French Method)

Learn how to make meringue with the easiest meringue making method, French meringue. French meringue is made with only two ingredients and can be made without cream of tartar. This style of meringue is delicate, light and tender.

FRENCH MERINGUE OVERVIEW

French meringue is the simplest form of all the meringue techniques. It is made simply by beating egg whites with sugar and does not absolutely require cream or tartar or another acidic ingredient.

French meringue, also sometimes referred to as simple meringue, is used frequently for folding into cake batters like chiffon cake and angel food cake to create an incredibly light texture. It can also be piped into various shapes for cookies or dessert shells.

What is Meringue?

The most basic definition of meringue is egg whites beaten into a foam with sugar to stiff peaks. There are 3 types of meringue- French Meringue, Swiss Meringue, and Italian Meringue. Each type of meringue has its own method and best uses.

Meringue, or a sweetened egg white foam, is used in so many different baking and pastry components. Meringue can be folded into cake batters to lighten them. Meringue can be used as a topping for a pie or tart. Meringue can also be used all on its own as a delicate cookie or an impressive pavlova.

French Meringue Basics

In its most simple form, french meringue is made with only egg whites and granulated or superfine sugar. It is the simplest preparation of all the methods and is the only form that is uncooked. This means it is also the most unstable.

French meringue is best used for folding into cake batters such as in angel food cake, used to make French macarons, or baked on its own into small preparations like meringue cookies or kisses. It can be used as a topping for a pie, but because it is the least stable I much prefer Italian meringue because it won’t weep as much on the pie.

Ratios

The ratios of sugar to egg whites varies depending on how the meringue will be used. The lowest sugar ratio used is typically a 1:1 ratio of egg white to sugar by weight. The higher the ratio of sugar the more stable the meringue will be, however, it will taste much more sweet and if baked the texture is more crisp is not as tender and melt-in-your-mouth.

If you do decide to use this preparation fir topping a pie you will want to use a higher ratio of sugar, usually 1:2 egg whites to sugar by weight, to create more stability where as if it is being baked for cookies less sugar can be used because the baking will set the meringue.

How to Make Meringue (The French Method_

Step 1: Make Superfine Sugar (*optional)

If you do not have access to superfine sugar, or castor sugar, it is best to make your own before utilizing this method. In a food processor process the sugar until it is very fine. This takes about 2 minutes.

This step is not absolutely necessary, but will help prevent any grittiness in your meringue.

Step 2: Measure Your Ingredients

Depending on your final use for this meringue it may or may not be important to actually weigh your ingredients very accurately.

If you are using your meringue as a topping on a pie then the exact ratios for your meringue aren’t really as important as if you were going to fold it into a cake batter or for macarons.

Step 3: Bring the Egg Whites to Room Temperature

Egg whites will whip to their highest and most stable peaks when they are at room temperature or slightly warm, so it is important to give them time. If you are in a rush, you can put un-cracked eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes to take the chill off.

I have also used packaged liquid egg whites to make this foam and they also worked, however because they are pasteurized, I had to beat for much much longer.

Step 4: Begin by Whipping the Egg Whites

Make sure that the bowl you are using is clean and free from oil and place the egg whites in the bowl. You want to begin by whipping on a low speed which will allow the proteins to unravel and begin forming their network to trap the air bubbles.

It is optional, but a pinch of cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar are often added here. These acidic ingredients, though not absolutely necessary, will lower the ph and in turn strengthen the proteins and create a more stable meringue.

Step 5: Very Slowly Add the Sugar

Once your whites have reached soft peaks, continue mixing on medium speed while adding the sugar in slowly. I add about 1 tablespoon at a time and wait about 15 seconds before the next addition. Not rushing this process is really key to making the mixture stable.

Step 6: Whip to Stiff Peaks

Watch the egg whites carefully and stop beating once you reach stiff peaks. The whites will look glossy and the whites should stand up straight with just a slight bend on the end. See the picture below for how the peaks should look.

If you take the whites too far the gloss will go away and they will start to break down, look dry, and begin separating. If you go this far you need to stop and start over! This is much more difficult to do with the higher ratio of sugar, but it is a little easier to go to far if you are using the 1:1 sugar ratio. The below picture is showing what broken meringue looks like.

Tips for Success

What Can you Make with Simple Meringue?

French Meringue

French meringue is the easiest meringue preparation with only two ingredients and just a few steps. This preparation can be used for baked meringues, pie toppings, folded into cake batters and many other uses!В

Ingredients

Instructions

Note regarding sugar quantity: The smaller amount of sugar will create a less stable meringue but one that is more melt-in-your mouth and tender after being baked. The higher quantity of sugar will create a much more stable meringue but one that is more crisp when baked. If utilizing this for a pie topping, opt for the higher quantity so it is less prone to weeping as quickly.

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Easy Candy-Striped Meringue Cookies

Published: Nov 16, 2019 · Modified: Jan 31, 2022 by Mimi · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Easy candy-striped meringue cookies made with the French method. Using only a few simple ingredients, these meringue kisses make great edible gifts for Christmas, Valentines or any occasion.

Meringue Cookies for Christmas, Valentines or Any Occasion

(P.S. These meringues also look amazing piped into mushroom shapes for topping onto cakes and for use as sustainable Christmas table decorations, check out French Meringue Mushrooms and Pink Cotton Candy Meringue Kisses here.)

Easy French Meringue for Beginners

These meringue kisses are made using the French method for preparing meringue. In this method, sugar is simultaneously added to egg whites that are being whipped. Whereas in the Italian method, the sugar is first heated with water to create a syrup that is then added to egg whites that are being whipped. The French method is especially suited for beginners and many of you may already have experience making a French meringue from my Best Macaron Tutorial. You find all that practice you had making a strong and healthy meringue for macarons will now come in handy for these meringues cookies. For those of you who are new to making meringues, here are some tips below for mastering this little cookie.

The Difference Between French, Italian & Swiss Meringue and How To Make Them

A meringue is essentially an airy, light, and sweet mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar. It can be baked into lovely, delightful meringue cookies, or used in various applications, such as a base for creamy Swiss meringue buttercream and soufflé, a puffy and fluffy French dish.

Most interestingly, despite only requiring a couple of ingredients, there are different ways to prepare a meringue, and these different methods lend itself to different applications.

In general, meringues require some form of whipped up egg whites and incorporation of sugar. The difference between different styles of meringues is simply in the way it’s prepared. In this article, we will be touching on the 3 different types of meringues – French, Swiss, and Italian, how to use them, and tips on making them!

The Different Types of Meringue

1. French Meringue

French meringue is made by first whipping up egg whites until the mixture reaches soft peaks, before gradually adding sugar until the mixture reaches stiff peaks. When unbaked, the French meringue loses stability over time. Hence, it is best used as a basis for soufflé or piped onto a cookie sheet and baked as cookies.

Application : This style of meringue is the easiest to make, and most popularly used for making into meringue cookies. Throw in some spices or flavours, and you’ll be whipping (pun completely intended) up a gourmet treat with a snap of your fingers. This style creates the lightest meringue, but also the least stable.

Read: Recipe for French Meringue Kisses and Tips

2. Swiss Meringue

Swiss meringue is denser and glossier as compared to its French cousin.

It is made by first mixing together egg whites and sugar, then heated over a bain-marie, or double-boiler until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture reaches a temperature of 71°C. The mixture is then whipped on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks.

Tip: If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, check by making sure the sugar is completely dissolved by rubbing the mixture between your fingers. The mixture should also be opaque.

Application : This style of meringue is my personal favourite for making frosting on a cake. It’s slightly more complicated, but when made into a Swiss meringue buttercream, it yields a light, creamy (and dreamy!) yet stable frosting that is perfect for decorating and piping.

Read: How to make a Swiss meringue

3. Italian Meringue

Italian meringue is generally considered to be the most stable of the meringues (which makes it suitable for making frosting too), but also, the most difficult to make of the three meringue types. You’ll also need a kitchen thermometer as your mixture has to reach a temperature of 115°C (very hot!).

An Italian meringue is made by heating sugar with water until 115°C. In the meantime, you want to whip up egg whites to soft peaks, and drizzle the hot sugar syrup in while it whips to stiff peaks.

Application : With Italian meringue, you are able to top desserts with it because of its fluffy, marshmallowy texture, or use it in buttercream like its Swiss counterpart. I personally prefer using Swiss meringue because of its ease of preparation, and I generally do not find that there’s a huge difference in taste. I’ll chalk it down to personal preference!

Read: How to make an Italian meringue

Tips For Making Meringues

If you’re ready to get into the kitchen and practise making your own meringues, here are some general tips for you to note when making any of these meringues:

#1 Fresh eggs or old eggs?

#2 Use room temperature egg whites

One of the most important parts of whipping up a meringue is ensuring that the sugar dissolves completely. Using room temperature egg whites will help that process along, and it’s especially true for French meringues where external heat isn’t introduced.

Tip: Cold egg whites are easier to separate, so we suggest separating the eggs when they are cold, then leaving the egg whites out at room temperature.

#3 Adding an acid

If you’ve looked up meringue recipes, you will see that some recommend lemon juice or cream of tartar. What the acidity does is to add flexibility to the foam, and while it takes longer to whip up a meringue with an added acid, it helps to create more stability in your meringues.

#4 Sugar’s not only for sweetening

The sugar to egg whites ratio is very important in whipping up meringues. In general, you want to use 1 part egg whites to two parts sugar. Sugar binds with the water content in egg whites, and ensures that the structure is held in place. Don’t skimp!

#5 Clean, large glass/copper/metal bowl

Whipping up egg whites can increase its volume by up to 8 times, so you definitely don’t want to have to change your bowls in the middle of whipping. Ensure that your bowl is free from oil, grease, and fat (basically clean), because these will inhibit the egg whites from stabilising. That’s also the reason why we do not recommend using a plastic bowl, as they tend to keep some grease or dirt from previous uses.

French Meringue

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This meringue is based on uncooked egg whites. As slight as the hazard is, there is a hazard of salmonella when using uncooked eggs. Be aware of this if you’re cooking for the very old, the very young or for someone with a compromised immune system.

French meringue is the simplest meringue preparation, since it requires no heating of the ingredients.

French Meringue

Notice that the recipe is given as a ratio. That’s so you can scale it easily. Just remember 1:2 whites to sugar. So, for 3 oz. egg white, you’ll need 6 oz. sugar. For 1 oz. egg whites, you’ll need 2 oz. sugar.

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Use for topping pies—just run the pie, liberally swirled with your meringue, under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown it.
Use it for oeufs a la niege.
Use it to make those keen meringue mushrooms, or mice, maybe…To make the mushrooms or mice, instead of putting the piped figures under the broiler, you want to put them in the oven for at least a couple of hours on the lowest heat setting. You want to dry them out without browning them at all. Test by digging into the bottom of one of your figures with a small sharp knife. Let them go in the oven until they are crisp and dried all the way through. If you have a gas oven, just let them dry out overnight with only the heat from the pilot light.