Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Simple Meringue 4.0 (2) Use this easy meringue for cookies, pavlovas, and more. Close Credit: decorvow Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 10 Yield: 7 to 8 cups Jump to recipe This easy meringue recipe can be used to pipe individual cookies or swoop into an eye-catching pavlova wreath. Once baked, the unbelievably light meringue becomes crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. You’ll need a stand-mixer to whip the egg whites and incorporate the sugar, which you’ll add gradually so that it can fully dissolve into the egg whites (this will give you the lightest texture and best volume). A touch of cornstarch helps to absorb any lingering moisture in the meringue, which boosts the crispness factor, and a small amount of vanilla extract adds a subtle flavor, though you can certainly swap in another extract like peppermint or lemon instead, depending on how the meringue will be used. Basic French Meringue Tips for Meringue Success Watch out for grease: Any lingering grease on your tools or equipment can affect the egg whites' ability to whip up into tall, glossy peaks. To make sure they're sparkling clean before starting the recipe, wipe them down with a bit of white vinegar first. Crack with care: Use two egg shells, an egg separator, or your fingers to carefully separate the eggs. We recommend separating each egg white into a small bowl, then adding it individually to the bowl of a stand-mixer; this will help protect the other whites in case a yolk should break while separating. Add sugar slowly: When adding the sugar to the whipped egg whites, do so as gradually as possible, waiting a few seconds after each addition before adding the next. This will help ensure the sugar is fully dissolved, which will give you the loftiest height and lightest texture. We prefer to use superfine sugar in our meringues as it dissolves quickly and easily. If you can't locate any, you can make your own by adding a bit more than the one and one-half cups called for in this recipe to a food processor and processing until fully ground but not powdery. Re-measure before adding the processed sugar to your recipe. Directions Whip egg whites, lemon juice, and vanilla: Combine egg whites, lemon juice, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip, first on low speed, then slowly progressing to high speed, until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Slowly add sugar while whipping: Slowly sprinkle the sugar a little at a time over the egg-white mixture, and whip until glossy peaks are formed, about 3 minutes. Sift cornstarch and incorporate: Sift the cornstarch over the meringue, and fold in. Use meringue immediately. How to Use Simple Meringue This easy meringue can be used to make any number of recipes, from meringue cookies and kisses to whimsical nests and pavlova wreaths. Since there is no heating involved in the preparation process, this meringue will need to be baked before it can be safely eaten. 5 More Meringue Recipes to Try: Coffee Meringue-Ice Cream Cake Chocolate Chip Meringues Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie Meringue Hearts Rosy Rhubarb-Meringue Cake Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.