There’s more to life than just classic French meringue. When you heat eggs while making meringue, you get a glossier and much more stable result. Dig into delicious recipes that use Swiss and Italian meringues. 

 

 Rosy red pavlova 

This recipe uses Swiss meringue, which is shiny and stable. This means the meringue will keep its sheen, texture and volume for a few hours even when it is not baked. 

Serves 4 

Ingredients 

4 (120g) large egg whites 

½ tsp (2.5ml) cream of tartar 

½ tsp (2.5ml) salt 

½ tsp (2.5ml) lemon juice 

Seeds of ½ a vanilla pod 

1 cup (220g) caster sugar 

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp (17.5g) corn flour 

 

For the topping 

1 cup (250ml) cream, ice cold 

⅓ cup caster sugar 

½ tsp rose essence  

Drop of pink or red food colouring 

 

For decorating 

Red berries 

Dried rose petals and/or fresh edible flowers 

Handful chopped pistachio nuts 

 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 120°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper, tracing a circle on it if you like. 
2. Place egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, lemon juice, vanilla and sugar in a metal or glass bowl. Whisk to combine. 
3. Place over a pot of simmering water (creating a water bath), ensuring the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Heat mixture for 3-4 minutes while continuously whisking, checking that the bowl is never too hot to touch with your hand at its base. Once egg mixture is warm to the touch (60°C), remove and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer, or use a hand-held electrical whisk. 
4. Whisk egg mixture for about 10 minutes until shiny and thickened. (This will take about 15 minutes with a handheld electrical mixer.) 
5. Sift corn flour over meringue, then fold in using a large metal spoon. 
6. Spoon onto a lined baking tray, shaped into a 20cm dome. (Smooth out sides using a spatula, scraping gently from bottom to top, then swoop over the edge creating a slight indent inside to create a nest shape.) 
7. Bake for 1½ hours until crisp outside and slightly puffed. 
8. Switch off the oven and cool pavlova for 1-2 hours, before removing from the oven and cooling completely. 
9. Store in an airtight container for up to a day. 
10. For the topping, whisk together the cream and sugar to medium-stiff peaks. Add essence and a tiny drop of food coloring to create a pale pink cream. 
11. To assemble, place pavlova on a cake stand and spoon cream into the indent. Top with berries, rose petals and/or flowers and nuts. Serve the pavlova immediately. 

 

Top deck choc mousse 

Made using Swiss meringue, which puts the difficulty level is at medium. Having a sugar thermometer makes all the difference.  

Makes 6 

Ingredients 

1½ packets (21) Oreo cookies 

⅖ cup (100g) butter, melted 

300g dark chocolate, chopped 

1 cup cream 

1 tsp coffee powder or granulated coffee 

6 (180g) large egg whites at room temperature 

½ tsp (2.5ml) cream of tartar 

1 tsp (5ml) fine salt 

Seeds of ½ a vanilla pod (optional) 

1½ cups (330g) caster sugar  

 

Method 

9. Line 6 loose-bottom moulds (of about 8cm-wide and 5cm deep) with baking paper on the bottom and on the sides 
10. Remove icing between cookies and discard. Crush biscuits finely and mix with butter. Divide between the prepared moulds, flattening evenly with a spoon. Set aside. 
11. Place chocolate in a bowl. Combine cream and coffee powder then heat until scalding hot, whisking to dissolve coffee. Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate is dissolved, heating again over a double boiler if needed. Set ganache aside. 
12. Place egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla seeds and caster sugar in a metal or glass bowl, whisking to combine. 
13. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water (creating a water bath), ensuring the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Heat mixture for 3-4 minutes while continuously whisking, checking that the bowl is never too hot to touch with your hand at its base. Once egg mixture is warm to the touch (60°C), remove and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer, or use a hand-held electrical whisk. 
14. Whisk egg mixture Tol about 10 minutes until shiny and thickened. (This will take about 15 minutes with a handheld electrical mixer.) 
15. Fold 3½ cups of meringue into the chocolate ganache mixture. Cover remaining meringue and set aside. 
16. Spoon chocolate mousse into prepared moulds, spooning on top of the biscuit layer set in the fridge for 1 hour. 
17. Remove and gently spread the reserved meringue on top of semi-set mousse to create atopdeck effect. Chill for at least 2-3 hours to set. 
18. Run a warm cloth on the outside ofmoulds, then loosen the edges with a thin bladeknife. Open clips, unmould mousse and serve. 

 

 Raspberry meringue tarts   

Italian meringue, used in this recipe, is the most stable of all the meringues. Because it uses a sugar syrup, this is more difficult one to take on.  

Makes 8 

 

Ingredients 

300g frozen raspberries 

¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar 

1 lemon, zested 

¼ cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice 

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2 tsp (10ml) corn flour

⅓ cup (80g) butter, grated

2 packets (400g each) short crust pastry, defrosted 

4 egg whites

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

½ cup (125ml) water

Raspberries and edible gold shimmer, to decorate  

 

Method 

1. For the curd, combine raspberries sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a pot. 
2. Bring to a boil while stirring. Remove and strain, discarding the seeds and zest. Cool slightly until mixture is warm to the touch 
3. Combine whole egg, egg yolks and corn flour. Whisk the warm raspberry mixture into eggs to temper. Return the mixture to heat and cook until thickened, gently boiling for 2 minutes. 
4. Strain mixture once more, then stir in butter and melt completely. Cover with cling wrap directly on the surface. Set aside to cool then refrigerate. 
5. Line 7cm tartlet cases on the bottom and sides with pastry. Trim excess pastry evenly with the edge of mould. Line insides with baking paper and fill with baking beans or raw rice. 
6. Blind bake pastry shell at 200°C for 15 minutes, then remove beans and baking paper and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until golden and completely cooked. Set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container if preparing tartlet shells in advance. 
7. Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl, so you will be ready to start whipping when the sugar syrup is ready. 
8. Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to a boil. When the syrup reaches 113°C, begin whisking the egg whites at high speed. Continue boiling the syrup until it reaches 118°C (firm ball stage). 
9. Remove the syrup from the heat and lower the mixer speed to medium. Pour the syrup into the stiffly beaten egg whites in a thin, steady stream between the whisk and the side of the bowl. Return mixer to high speed and continue to whisk the meringue until it has cooled completely and has formed stiff peaks. Spoon into a piping bag with desired nozzle. 
10. Spoon curd into prepared tartlet shells. (You can whisk or blitz the curd if it is grainy after cooling). Pipe meringue on top, decorate and serve. 

 

Recipes: Liezl Vermeulen  

Photography: Zhann Solomons