Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water or more as needed
- 6 egg whites, slightly warmed
- Pinch of cream of tartar
Preparation
Step 1
Put 1 ½ cups of the sugar and the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar with a stand mixer on medium speed or a handheld mixer on high speed for 1 minute. Switch to high speed and beat with a stand mixer for about 5 minutes, or with a handheld mixer for about 10 minutes, or until the egg whites reach stiff peaks. Add the remaining sugar and beat for 1 minute more.
Test the sugar syrup with a thermometer or the back of a spoon until it reaches the soft ball stage. If the syrup is ready before the egg whites are stiff, add a tablespoon of water, then start testing again; if the egg whites are stiff before the syrup is ready, turn the mixer to low speed – don’t stop beating.
With the mixer on high speed, pour the syrup in a steady stream between the whisk and the bowl. Beat the egg whites for about 7 minutes, or until very stiff and the bottom of the bowl feels barely warm.
Italian meringue can be combined with other mixtures such as buttercream, fruit purees, ganache, whipped cream and fruit curds, with or without gelatin to create different textures.