Meringue Problems: Weeping, Grittiness, Stickiness Meringues can go wrong in a number of ways Under- or overbeaten foams may weep syrup into unsightly beads or puddles Beads also form when the sugar hasn’t been completely dissolved; residual crystals attract water from their surroundings and make pockets of concentrated syrup Undissolved sugar (including invisibly small particles present in an undercooked syrup that then slowly grow at room temperature) will give a gritty texture to a meringue Too high an oven temperature can squeeze water from the coagulating proteins faster than it can evaporate and produce syrup beads; it can also cause the foam to rise and crack, and turn its surface an unappealing yellow Royal Icing A given weight of egg whites can’t dissolve more than about double that weight in sugar Yet royal icing, a traditional decorative material in pastry work, is made by whipping a 4 to 1 mixture of powdered sugar and egg white for 10 or 15 minutes Royal icing is not a simple foam — it’s a combination of a very dense foam and a paste Much sugar remains undissolved, but it’s so fine that we can’t feel it on the tongue A common problem with meringue pie toppings is that they weep syrup onto the base and don’t adhere properly This can be caused both by relative undercooking of the foam bottom when the pie base is cold and the oven hot, or by relative overcooking on a hot pie base in a moderate oven Preventive measures include covering the pie base with a syrupabsorbing layer of crumbs before adding the meringue topping, and including starch or gelatin in the foam to help it retain moisture Humid weather is bad for meringues Their sugary surface absorbs moisture from the air and gets soft and sticky It’s best to transfer ... foam and a paste Much sugar remains undissolved, but it’s so fine that we can’t feel it on the tongue A common problem with meringue pie toppings is that they weep syrup onto the base and don’t adhere properly... both by relative undercooking of the foam bottom when the pie base is cold and the oven hot, or by relative overcooking on a hot pie base in a moderate oven Preventive measures include covering the pie base with a syrupabsorbing layer of crumbs before adding the. .. include covering the pie base with a syrupabsorbing layer of crumbs before adding the meringue topping, and including starch or gelatin in the foam to help it retain moisture Humid weather is bad for meringues Their sugary surface absorbs moisture from the air