FLUFFY MERINGUE FROSTING

FLUFFY MERINGUE FROSTING image

Categories Dessert

Number Of Ingredients 5

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
heaping 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
generous 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps:

Place 1/2 cup sugar and the water in a small pot. Stir to wet sugar. Bring top a boil over medium-high heat, swirling pan occasionally. Dip pastry brush in cold water and wash down sugar crystals from the sides of the pot once or twice. Turn down the heat to simmer gently. Meanwhile, place the egg whites into a clean, grease-free mixing bowl and whip until frothy on low speed using balloon whip attachment to standing mixer. Add cream of tartar and turn speed up to medium-high. When soft peaks form, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar gradually. Continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form. Bring the sugar-water mixture to a rapid boil and cook until it reaches 248 -250 degrees. As syrup cooks, look for visual clues to assess temperature. It starts out thin with many small bubbles over the surface. The water will begin to evaporate and the mixture will become thicker. The bubbles will become larger and sticky and pop more slowly. At this point, the syrup will look thickened, but it has not begun to color. Keep stirring and drop a drop of syrup every now and then in a bowl of water. When the drop forms into a firm-ball stage, then the syrup is ready. Pour a thin, steady stream over meringue, without pouring any on the rotating whip or the sides of the bowl. Whip meringue on high speed until cool to the touch. Beat in vanilla. Frosting is ready to use.