How to Make Swiss Meringue + Meringue Cookies Recipe | YellowMixer.com Baking Blog (2024)

If you are a beginner, I advise you to start with this recipe in order to learn how to make Swiss meringue. It is more reliable and gives you much more chances to get a good result.

For general information, there are three ways to whisk egg whites and accordingly 3 types of meringue: French, Swiss and Italian.

French meringue – egg whites whipped with sugar;
Swiss meringue – whites are heated with sugar and then whipped;
Italian meringue – whites whipped with hot sugar syrup.

How to Make Swiss Meringue + Meringue Cookies Recipe | YellowMixer.com Baking Blog (1)

Rules for whipping egg whites

There are general rules for whipping egg whites, they do not depend on the way they are cooked:

  1. Fat – fight! It is unacceptable to get even the slightest particle of fat into the whites and whipping dishes. Not a drop at all. The dishes should be clean and dry, and the white should be separated from the yolk very carefully (the yolk contains fat). To be sure, you can degrease the dishes before cooking: wipe them with a napkin with lemon juice.
  2. Dishes. Preferably metal or glass. Plastic absorbs fats and over time it becomes almost impossible to completely degrease it. In addition, if you will heat the whites, the plastic will melt when it touches the hot dishes in a water bath.
  3. The temperature of the ingredients. The egg whites at room temperature whip easier, faster and more fluffy than cold ones;
  4. Sugar gives meringue stability, so it’s essential. There’s a little trick (not a trick at all) that neutralizes this sweetness a bit, but still, meringue is a dessert for the sweet tooth.
  5. The sugar should be completely dissolved in the whites. It’s very important! Have you ever had a meringue that leaks syrup while baking and then turns into caramel? Well, that was the sugar that didn’t dissolve.
  6. To make meringue, the egg whites and sugar should be whipped until they form stiff, smooth, stable peaks. This process can take 20 or 30 minutes – it mainly depends on the power of your mixer, if everything else is done correctly (clean dishes, no fat in the protein).
  7. Color the meringue while whipping. Preferably with dry food coloring, especially if you want a bright color.

This time we’ll learn how to cook meringue on the water bath, that is Swiss meringue.

Ingredients:

100 g egg whites (from about 3 large eggs)
a pinch of salt
200 g white sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Combine whites, salt and sugar in a bowl. (The bowl should be metal or glass, NOT plastic.)

2. Make a water bath: pour a little water in a small pan, literally 2 cm from the bottom, bring to a boil, reduce heat (the water should boil slightly), put a container with whites and sugar on top so that it does not touch boiling water (this is important!).

How to Make Swiss Meringue + Meringue Cookies Recipe | YellowMixer.com Baking Blog (2)

3. Constantly stirring with a whisk, warm until sugar is completely dissolved. Ideally, the temperature of whites for Swiss meringue should be 130-140 degrees F, but it’s enough when you try with your finger to feel that there are no sugar grains in whites.

4. Remove the bowl from the water bath and whip the mixture with a mixer, gradually increasing the speed to maximum. Whip until getting firm, dense peaks.

5. Add lemon juice and whip at low speed for a few seconds until the juice mixes with the meringue.

How to Make Swiss Meringue + Meringue Cookies Recipe | YellowMixer.com Baking Blog (3)

Now your Swiss meringue is getting done, and you can use it where you want, for example, make Swiss buttercream or bake meringue cookies:

Put the meringues on the parchment using two spoons or a pastry bag. Bake meringues at 175-200 degrees F for 1–3 hours. The longer you bake, the drier will be meringues inside. If you want a viscous center like nougat, bake 1-1.5 hours. Baking time also depends on the size of the meringue: small ones will dry quickly, while large ones will take more time to get dried.

Keep the meringue cookies in a tightly closed airtight container.

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Why does baked meringue get wet in a few hours after cooking?
And what to do with damp meringues?

Meringue soaks due to humidity in the room or when touching wet surfaces, such as cake frosting or container walls, on which condensation has appeared. Do not leave baked meringues in a closed, turned off oven and store them in a dry, tightly closed container. If the meringues got damp, dry them again in the oven, half an hour at 160-175 degrees F.

How to make meringue cookies | YellowMixer.com

Print Recipe

Cooking Time: 30 min

Ingredients

  • 100 g egg whites (from about 3 large eggs)
  • a pinch of salt
  • 200 g white sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1

Combine whites, salt and sugar in a bowl. (The bowl should be metal or glass, NOT plastic.)

2

Make a water bath: pour a little water in a small pan, literally 2 cm from the bottom, bring to a boil, reduce heat (the water should boil slightly), put a container with whites and sugar on top so that it does not touch boiling water (this is important!).

3

Constantly stirring with a whisk, warm until sugar is completely dissolved. Ideally, the temperature of whites for Swiss meringue should be 130-140 degrees F, but it's enough when you try with your finger to feel that there are no sugar grains in whites.

4

Remove the bowl from the water bath and whip the mixture with a mixer, gradually increasing the speed to maximum. Whip until getting firm, dense peaks.

5

Add lemon juice and whip at low speed for a few seconds until the juice mixes with the meringue.

6

Put the meringues on the parchment using two spoons or a pastry bag.

7

Bake meringues at 175-200 degrees F for 1–3 hours. The longer you bake, the drier will be meringues inside. If you want a viscous center like nougat, bake 1-1.5 hours. Baking time also depends on the size of the meringue: small ones will dry quickly, while large ones will take more time to get dried.

Notes

Keep the meringue cookies in a tightly closed airtight container.

egg whitesgluten freelactose freemeringue

How to Make Swiss Meringue + Meringue Cookies Recipe | YellowMixer.com Baking Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between French and Swiss meringue cookies? ›

Swiss Meringue

It's softer yet denser in texture than French meringue and is often used as a base for buttercream frostings, cookies, or Pavlova. Of the three types, this is considered the middle of the road in terms of stability.

Why are my meringue cookies not crispy? ›

Meringues are not supposed to harden completely in the oven. While low heat will dry them out, meringues do not become hard and crisp until they have had a chance to cool for five or ten minutes.

What temperature do you cook Swiss meringue at? ›

The secret is to cook the Swiss meringue all the way up to 175°F (79°C) and whip at the highest speed possible. Sugar may delay coagulation, but it's worth taking care when heating egg whites to a temperature as high as what my recipe calls for. An extra-roomy water bath helps in this regard.

What are the common mistakes to avoid while preparing meringue? ›

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meringue
  1. Adding Sugar Too Quickly.
  2. Skipping Cream of Tartar.
  3. Mixing in a Dirty Bowl.
  4. Using Cold Eggs.
  5. Overbeating the Egg Whites.
  6. Squeezing the Air Out.
  7. Baking at Too Low a Temperature.
Mar 19, 2024

Why do you put vinegar in meringue? ›

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

Why does my Swiss meringue taste like butter? ›

If yours tastes like you're eating a stick of butter, perhaps your meringue wasn't whipped to stiff peaks before adding butter, or the butter was too cold, in which case it just needs some more whipping. Or you added too much butter.

Why is my Swiss meringue not fluffy? ›

In a KitchenAid mixer, it usually takes about 20-25 minutes to make a good, stiff meringue from start to finish. If you're at the 20-minute mark and the meringue still isn't at stiff peaks, check your temperature. Is it hot and humid in your kitchen? Then a 15-20 minute meringue timeout in the fridge will help!

Which tastes better Italian or Swiss meringue? ›

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

That's a personal preference. To me, the two frostings taste almost identical. However, I find the Italian meringue frosting to be a bit easier to work with and the Swiss meringue frosting to be a tad bit lighter.

What happens if you add sugar too early to meringue? ›

If the sugar is added too early, the sugar granules interfere with the proteins' ability to unfold, resulting in a weaker network that can only support small air bubbles (this is why these cakes and meringues had a finer interior texture).

What to do if Swiss meringue won't stiffen? ›

If it still seems soupy after about 5 minutes of mixing, try to chill it in the fridge for another 5-10 minutes.

Can you over mix meringue cookies? ›

You can't overbeat meringue - It's true! You can't ruin it by mixing too much, so once all of the sugar is added, be sure that your meringue is glossy and that you have super firm, stiff peaks when you remove the beater from the mixer. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if it appears too soft.

Can you leave Swiss meringue out overnight? ›

Room Temperature – Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a stable frosting, meaning it will keep well covered at room temperature for 1 to 2 days in a low humidity environment. Refrigerator – cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring back to room temperature to re-whip before piping.

What is the best thermometer for Swiss meringue? ›

TOP TIP: The Superfast Thermapen Thermometer gives precise temperature measurements, to one decimal place. Perfect for consistently good Swiss meringue buttercream.

Should meringue be left in oven overnight? ›

This is a good cookie to make in the evening; meringues can be left in the oven (with the heat turned off) overnight. Baking vegan? A good substitute for the egg whites in this recipe is aquafaba, the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas.

How to get meringue to form stiff peaks? ›

Beat to soft peaks on medium-high speed. Gradually add the sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until it has all been incorporated. Continue beating until glossy, stiff peaks form. At this point, you can't overbeat the meringue, so keep beating until you've got those glossy, firm peaks!

How long do you beat egg white until stiff? ›

It can take a while for a meringue to reach stiff peaks and for the sugar to dissolve—about five minutes with a hand mixer. If the sugar has not dissolved (for example, if it tastes gritty), keep beating.

How do I properly beat the egg whites for meringue? ›

In a large clean, grease-free bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachement to whip the egg whites on low speed until foamy bubbles appear at the top. Add the vanilla bean paste and vinegar (or cream of tartar) and continue whipping until really foamy.

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