Italian meringue is a meringue that is cooked as it is whipped, and is the basis of many frozen desserts such as fruit parfaits and also the meringue that works well on a baked alaska.
Here's how it's made.
Step 1: Boil 500g caster sugar with 150ml water and cook until it reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer — around 4-5 minutes of rapid boiling.
Step 2: A minute before it's ready, beat 5 egg whites to soft peaks on full speed.
Step 3: Reduce the beater speed to 75 per cent and slowly but steadily pour the boiling sugar syrup over the whites.
Step 4: Increase the speed to full again. Continue beating the meringue until it has cooled to just more than tepid.
Step 5: Then stop beating and leave to cool completely. The meringue should look very white, be glossy and very stiff at this point.
Read more
Peter Gordon's feature on beating egg whites
