Swiss Meringue

5 from 1 vote

Swiss Meringue is the perfect topping for so many desserts! It's made with simple ingredients - egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Although this is a simple recipe, it's important to read through the recipe thoroughly before starting, so you are set up for success! I've tinkered with this technique for years, and have learned exactly what to do and not do for perfectly stable meringue.

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time18

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Swiss Meringue, How to Make Meringue

Servings: batch

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

4 large egg whites, at room temperature* It's easier to separate them while cold, then let them come to room temperature in a bowl.
1 cup granulated sugar 210 grams
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Prep: Make sure you read the note below the directions on cleaning your utensils with vinegar before beginning. Get out everything you need before starting, including your cheesecake. Place your cheesecake on a serving plate, and spread a thin layer of lemon curd on top. I have had better success making meringue in a stand mixer, but if you're confident with your hand mixer, you can use it as well. Try to avoid making this on a humid day as that can wreak havoc on the meringue's stability.
Make the Meringue: Add an inch or so of water to a small/medium saucepan. Make sure your bowl doesn't sit in the water. Test it by setting the bowl on the pot, over the water, lifting off and seeing if the bottom is wet. If you have a stand mixer, you can use it's metal bowl. In your selected bowl, whisk together room temperature egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Set the bowl over the pot of water. Turn the heat to low, then cook, whisking constantly until an instant thermometer holds steady at 175℉. (Mine was registering between 175℉ and 180℉ depending on where I stuck the thermometer without hitting the bottom of the bowl. Keep going until you don't see any reading below 175 ℉.) This will take about 8 minutes, but go by temp, not by time. Remove from the heat immediately, and add the vanilla.
Electric Mixer: Beat with a hand mixer on high speed for 4-5 minutes. We're looking for a thick mixture with stiff peaks.
Stand Mixer: Mix with the whisk attachment on high speed (I like to keep it between 8-9, not at 10) for 4-5 minutes. The mixture will grow up the sides of the bowl, and is ready when it seems to have stopped growing, and is balling up inside the whisk attachment (it will almost look a tad clumpy, as opposed to smooth & silky). When you lift the whisk attachment out and flip it so the bottom is pointing up, the meringue should stand stiffly up, with only the slightest bit of the tip top strand of meringue flipping over.
4 large egg whites, at room temperature*, 1 cup granulated sugar , 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 1/8 tsp salt, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Serve & Store: Immediately pipe the meringue onto your desired dessert (or simply pile it into the center, for a cheesecake or pie, and gently swirl it with the back of a spoon!). Use a kitchen torch to toast it, and serve. If done properly, the meringue will hold it's shape perfectly when added to a dessert, and sliced into. The meringue should also hold up on your leftover dessert, stored in the fridge for about 2-3 days.

Notes

Cleaning Bowls/Utensils for Meringue: Use all metal when making meringue (or as much as possible) because it’s harder for fat (butter, etc.) from previous use to remain on metal as opposed to plastic or silicone. Additionally, you’ll want to give your already clean bowl/whisk/utensils a quick rinse in vinegar & hot water. Dry well with a clean kitchen towel. This ensures no risk of your meringue failing – even a small bit of fat residue can interfere with a meringue’s stability. I say this not to panic you, but to make sure you are set up for the best success possible!

Egg Whites: Eggs separate much more easily while cold, so separate your eggs and then let the egg whites sit out to come to room temperature.

Nutrition