On Food and Cooking

hold for a day or two before use, but is also
light enough to blend into batters and creams.
Because much of the syrup’s heat is lost to the
bowl, whisk, and air, the foam mass normally
gets no hotter than 130 or 135ºF/55–58ºC,
which is insufficient to kill salmonella.
The second sort of cooked meringue
(“Swiss”) is most clearly described as a
cooked meringue plain and simple (the French
meringue cuite). To make it, eggs, acid, and
sugar are heated in a hot-water bath and
beaten until a stiff foam forms. The bowl is
then removed from the heat and the foam
beaten until it cools. This preparation can
pasteurize the egg whites. Thanks to the
protective effects of sugar, cream of tartar,
and constant agitation, you can heat the
meringue mixture to 170 or 175ºF/75–78ºC
and still end up with a stable though dense
foam. The cooked meringue can be
refrigerated for several days, and is usually
piped into decorative shapes.