Meringue turns into marshmallow

Question

Hello!  I consider myself a decent amateur baker.  However, my favorite dessert is one of the most easy desserts and for some reason, never works out.  Every time I try to make pavlova, after adding the sugar, my meringue turns into a more marshmallow fluff consistency - shiny and smooth, sticky, doesn't really hold peaks.  It bakes up ok but it is not what I am going for.  Ironically I have made sponge cakes and other whipped egg white desserts without any trouble.  I do room temp eggs, make sure there is no yolk, clean my bowl so everything is grease-free, add the sugar slowly, etc.  I have begun adding sugar when the eggs are foamy or already holding peaks.  Everything I try gives the same result.  Any ideas?  Thanks!

Lori T. · Answer

Part of the trouble might lie with the size of the sugar grains themselves.  Mine is a bit on the larger side, so I give it a whiz in the food processor before I go on to making the meringue.  Are you using cream of tartar?  I find that indispensable myself.  Pavlovas are made using a French meringue, and are supposed to end up with a crispy outside and a marshmallow-y interior, as well.  So if you were expecting a dry meringue like texture throughout, that's not what you end up with  this type of meringue.

HalfPint · Answer

Might be adding the sugar too quickly and not beating enough in between additions of sugar.

Meringue turns into marshmallow

2 Comments

Popular on Food52