Meringue

According to Fine Cooking Magazine, meringue is a whipped mixture of sugar and egg whites,. Meringue is used to lighten soufflés, mousses, and cake mixtures, to make pie toppings, and to make desserts like baked Alaska and crisp baked meringues and pavlovas.

There are three types of meringue; their differences lie in when and how the sugar is added:

French Meringue  - This uncooked meringue is the one most people are familiar with. The sugar is gradually beaten into the egg whites once they have reached soft peaks, and then the mixture is whipped to firm peaks. (It’s best to use superfine or a mixture of superfine and confectioners’ sugar for this, because they dissolve quickly.) This type of meringue is the least stable but also the lightest, which makes it perfect for soufflés.

Italian Meringue - The most stable of all the meringues, this is made with a sugar syrup that has been heated to the soft-ball stage (236°F to 240°F). The hot sugar syrup is gradually beaten into the egg whites after soft peaks have formed and then whipped to firm glossy peaks. Its stability and smooth texture make it great for egg white buttercreams and mousses.

Swiss Meringue  - Firm and slightly denser than the others, a Swiss meringue is made by stirring sugar and egg whites together over a pot of simmering water until they are very warm to the touch before whipping them. The early addition of the sugar prevents the egg whites from increasing as much in volume as they do in the other meringues, but adds to its fine texture. Swiss meringue is particularly good for baking crisp meringue cake layers and for topping pies.

The French Meringue is the one I use for topping pies. It is the one we will be using today.

Thanks to The Kitchn for the following information:
For maximum volume, it is important to keep your egg whites and all of your equipment as free from fat as possible. This means no grease in your mixing bowl and no drips of egg yolk in the whites. Try using glass, stainless steel, or copper mixing bowls; avoid plastic bowls since they can be porous and hold grease. In addition to being free from grease, make sure the mixing bowl and whisk are both dry.
What should you do if a bit of yolk ends up in your whites? Try to fish the yolk out as best as possible. A tiny drip of yolk probably won’t keep your whites from whipping, but it may take longer to do so. Break a whole yolk in your whites? You are probably best off starting over.

Room-temperature eggs whip up better than cold ones. After separating the egg whites from the yolks, let them rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before whipping.
To make sure the sugar dissolves completely, add it in very gradually. You will want to avoid dumping in a large amount at one time. In the end, the meringue should be silky and not at all grainy (which would mean you still have undissolved sugar). Rub a little between your fingers — it should feel totally smooth and creamy.
To help stabilize the meringue, mix in a bit of cream of tartar. It might not increase the volume of the meringue, but it will help keep it from breaking down too quickly.
Although difficult to do, try not to over-whip the egg whites. Once they reach stiff peaks, stop the mixer; the meringue should be glossy.

BASIC FRENCH MERINGUE

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
pinch salt (optional)

Begin whisking the egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium low.  Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer or whisk and large bowl.) Be sure that the mixing bowl and whisk are free from grease and that the egg whites do not have any bits of egg yolks in them. Begin whisking or beating on medium-low speed.
Add in the cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt, if using.  Beat in the cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt, if using.
Increase speed to medium and start adding sugar.  After the whites begin to foam, bump up the mixer to medium speed and gradually start adding in the sugar. As the eggs whites are whisked, air is incorporated. Little air bubbles will start to form and the egg whites will foam. They will still be too liquidy to hold any shape. Once they begin to foam, begin adding in the sugar, a little bit at a time.
Watch for the "soft plop" stage.  The foam and air bubbles will start to tighten and the whites will become opaque. The "soft plop" stage describes eggs whites that hold onto the whisk but do not form peaks.
Add the remaining sugar as the whites turn into "soft peaks."  Continue adding in the sugar until the whites begin to form soft peaks. Here, the whites will begin to hold their shape, but will eventually slump over and melt back into the bowl.
Dollop the meringue onto the top of a pie.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and put the pie in the oven for about 10 minutes to brown the meringue.

MERINGUE COOKIES
The Kitchn

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
pinch salt (optional)
food coloring (optional)
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat oven to 215°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer or whisk and large bowl.) Be sure that the mixing bowl and whisk are free from grease and that the egg whites do not have any bits of egg yolks in them. Begin whisking or beating on medium-low speed.
Add in the cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt, if using. 
After the whites begin to foam, bump up the mixer to medium speed and gradually start adding in the sugar a little at a time.
Continue to beat the egg whites and add the remaining sugar as the whites turn into "soft peaks." Here, the whites will begin to hold their shape, but will eventually slump over and melt back into the bowl.

After the whites begin to hold their shape, bump up the mixer to medium-high speed until they hold firm peaks. Firm peaks are achieved when whites hold their shape. If you pull the whisk straight out of the bowl, a peak will form. At this stage, the tip of the peak will fold back over onto itself.
Add gel food coloring or additional flavors, if using.  Mix in a tiny bit of gel food coloring or other extracts until the whites hold stiff peaks. The stiff peaks stage is what we are trying to achieve. At this point, the peaks should stand up nice and straight. The whites will be glossy and smooth. If you rub a bit between your fingertips, it should feel silky (meaning the sugar has completely dissolved.)
Gently fold in chopped nuts, chocolate, etc. with a large rubber spatula.
Fit a piping bag with a plain or star tip. Unfold the top of the piping bag about halfway, then use a rubber spatula to fill the bag with the meringue. Fill the bag only 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full to prevent the meringue from spilling out the top of the bag.
Pipe out the meringues.  Gently squeeze the piping bag to push out any air pockets before getting started. Pipe meringue kisses by holding the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet. Hover the top slightly over the sheet and pipe a "kiss" of meringue: pipe the meringue, stop pressing the bag, then pull up on the bag. (Alternatively, you can use a soup spoon to scoop large, rustic meringues.)
Depending on the size of your meringue, bake for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the outside is crisp and the inside is dry yet chewy. They should feel light and hollow. When done, the meringues should easily peel off the parchment paper. Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and let the meringues cool completely in the oven.

Storage: Baked meringue may be stored in a covered container at room temperature for a few days. Do not refrigerate.

MERINGUE ROLL
From Tastemade

1 pint fresh raspberries
1 jar no-seed raspberry jam, stirred to make thinner
1 cup superfine sugar
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Pink food coloring
1 ½ cups heavy cream
powdered sugar
Whipping cream in a can, to serve

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer, then gradually add the 1 cup of superfine sugar until you have a smooth, glossy mixture. Beat in the cornstarch and vinegar.
Divide the meringue into three. Leave one bowl white, then color the second bowl light pink, and the third bowl a slightly darker pink.
Add the meringue in thirds along the sheet pan, then spread the meringue out evenly.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes then leave to cool in its pan for 5 minutes.
Put a large sheet of parchment paper on the worktop and dust with powdered sugar. Turn the meringue out onto the paper and peel back the paper, then leave to cool.
Whip the heavy cream and sweeten it with powdered sugar until fairly firm. Spread with meringue with the cream, leaving a 1 inch border free along one short side. Spoon the jam evenly over the cream.
Using the paper to help you, roll up the meringue like a jelly roll, towards the cream-free short side. Leave the meringue wrapped up in its paper and place in the fridge to firm up for 2 hours before serving.
To serve, unwrap the meringue and transfer to a serving platter. Squirt some cream along the top of the meringue and top with the fresh raspberries. Serve in slices.

MIXED BERRY PAVLOVA
Barefoot Contessa
4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sweetened Whipped Cream (see recipe)

1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
Triple Raspberry Sauce (see recipe)
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan.  Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side.  (This way you won’t get a pencil mark on the meringue.)
Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. 
With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. 
Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. 
Bake for 1½ hours.  Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour.  It will be crisp on the outside and soft inside.
Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. 
Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with about ½ cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the berries lightly. 
Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. 
Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.

Sweetened Whipped Cream (Makes 2 Cups)

1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). 
When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm.  Don’t overbeat!

Triple Raspberry Sauce (Makes 2 Cups)

½ pint fresh raspberries
½ cup sugar
1 cup seedless raspberry jam (12-ounce jar)
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur (optional)
Place the raspberries, sugar and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes.  
Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth.  
Chill.