prematurely limits the trapping of air However, they offer several advantages Because sugar is more soluble in hot liquid than in cold, they more readily absorb a large proportion of sugar Like the dense automatic meringue (above), they’re less brittle when dried down Partial coagulation of the egg proteins stabilizes these foams enough to sit without separating for a day or more And for cooks concerned about the safety of raw eggs, some cooked meringues get hot enough to kill salmonella bacteria There are two basic kinds of cooked meringues The first (“Italian”) is the syrupcooked meringue Sugar is boiled separately with some water to 240 or 250ºF/115–120ºC (the “soft-ball” stage, around 90% sugar, at which fudge and fondant are made), the whites whipped to stiff peaks, and the syrup then streamed and beaten into the whites The result is a fluffy yet fine-textured, stiff foam It has enough body to decorate pastries and to 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 ... 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,... 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... 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