Meringue is a mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar. It is typically piped into individual confections, spread onto pies and tarts, or collected into a large mass as in pavlova, and baked.
There are three styles of meringue commonly used in patisserie:
- French meringue, which is made with raw egg whites and powdered sugar
- Italian meringue, which is made with raw egg whites into which a hot sugar syrup is gently introduced
- Swiss meringue, which is made by cooking egg whites and sugar in a double boiler and then beating it
Of these, French meringue is most delicate. For applications where the meringue is required to maintain stiffness during baking or longer rests, the French and Swiss techniques are superior.
