How the Type of Sugar Affects The Taste and Texture of French Meringues

Swirled Meringues
3 egg whites (100g)
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (57g) powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of fine salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
optional: freeze dried fruit powder, cocoa powder, other inclusions
1. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a mixer and mix on medium low until foamy.
2. Turn the speed of the mixer up to medium high and slowly add the granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time.
3. Continue mixing the egg whites until the meringue reaches stiff peaks and all the sugar has dissolved.
4. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and fold together by hand until combined.
5. Optionally scoop some of the meringue into a separate bowl and mix in freeze dried fruit powder, cocoa, or other inclusions. After mixing in, marble the two meringues together.
6. Scoop the meringue onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 250F (120C) for 1.5-2 hours depending on the size and your desired interior texture (longer for a meringue that is crisp throughout. shorter for a meringue that is softer on the inside).
7. Turn off the oven, leaving the meringues in so that they can slowly cool.

[@monochr0m]

PSA: Powdered sugar in other countries might not contain added starch.

[@eldritchomen]

Not all powdered sugar in the US has it either, it's just rarer Just gotta check the ingredients list, really

[@monochr0m]

@@eldritchomen sometimes they don't have ingredient lists, in that case the nutrition label helps :) if it has any carbs (besides sugar) it'll have starch in it

[@eldritchomen]

@@monochr0m ohhhh I see I didn't know about that, ty for the info !

[@mking5500]

Yeah in Europe they have to list it, the are strict with that stuff and i love it

[@Astavyastataa]

@@monochr0mI have never seen a product in the us without ingredients list. Could you please share some examples?

[@golfmike4805]

Can you show us how to add flawours without ruining the structure of the meringues?

[@OtcheR_]

It's something that may be too hard to show I think. General principle is converging «damp/dry» ingredients balance and that's why even liquids colourings need to be added proportionally Still, ingredients may differ from store to store - not even speaking about cities and countries, so what had effect once may not work elsewhere Try to add more sugar if you're adding syrups and juices and less if it's something dry, try in small batches and make notes

[@vainilla99]

you could fold in dry ingredients, like cocoa powder or freeze dried fruits in order to not increase the water content

[@OtcheR_]

@@vainilla99 can't it mess with the weight, tho? P.S: I'm anywhere far from pro, even from amateur, all my macarons were so-so at best so I'm overly paranoid now xd

[@vainilla99]

@@OtcheR_ not really, just add it after your meringue has reached stiff peaks. I've used freeze dried raspberries on italian meringue and it works really well. They have an intense flavor, so you just need a small amount

[@OtcheR_]

@@vainilla99 I see, thanks!

[@Ashinle]

The fact that you show all the variations helps with understanding this stuff so much

[@MiracleWinchester]

Food science 😊 i love this channel

[@Storyteller2078]

I will say however, he didn’t mention that you can simply make your own semi-powdered sugar by pulsing granulated sugar several times

[@pngyenchu]

​@@Storyteller2078Does everything needs to be spelled out?

[@danilincks5809]

I love use caster sugar for meringue, it dissolves as well as powdered sugar but no starchy taste. I’m surprised more people don’t use it

[@blessyourheart716]

Are you in the United States?

[@elenid7530]

I don't think caster sugar is widely available in the United States

[@rosy-rho]

I was going to recommend caster (aka superfine) sugar as well. That’s what I’ve always done, and definitely prefer it

[@rosy-rho]

@@elenid7530some stores carry it, but not all. You can approximate it very well at home with either a blender or a food processor: just run it with granulated sugar until it’s super powdery.

[@catpride1323]

​@@rosy-rhoIn Canada we don't have caster sugar or super fine, we used to have berry sugar when I was little, which is the same thing, but I haven't seen that in a lifetime... You could pulse your granulated sugar in a blender or food processor to achieve the same thing. But be careful, or you'll have powdered sugar... lol

[@georgew.9663]

Something I love about your content is how neutral and descriptive the language you use is. You’re almost never prescriptive and say something is objectively right or wrong like people frequently do about different ways to cook choc chip cookies which can be frustrating because lots of people disagree. You almost never do that and just say how textures and other stuff differs but don’t usually say one is better than the other which I like, keep up the good work

[@karinflowers9244]

I never new how to word it but yes! Love this

[@watermelonwellington1479]

Yes I love this about Ben's videos!!

[@skye387]

It helps with people who likes different textures and preferences.

[@william44011]

@@karinflowers9244 Have you ever made something an idol, used God’s name as a cuss word, dishonor your parents, murder (God views hate as murder), lusting, stealing, lying, wanting something another has that isn’t rightfully yours? Doing so we violating the law, which is sin, and because of sin there is a punishment…If a serial killer like Ted Bundy tells a judge of all the good things he’s done for society do you think the judge would let the serial killer off free? The same is with us; we’ve committed such crimes against God that we are separated from God forever; we are punished by suffering Hell for eternity, a place with no hope for us. But God loves us so much and with all his heart that he gave his only Son, Jesus Christ, to this cursed world to be crucified on the cross. (John 3:16-17) Now anyone who accepts Jesus Christ, God’s Son, as their Lord and Savior and believes he rose from the dead the third day will be saved from eternal damnation in Hell and live in Heaven in paradise with him forever. Many will choose to follow Satan, whether it be because they think they won’t succeed otherwise or won’t have any joy or friendships, but he will soon reveal himself as a murderer and a liar as he was since the beginning and he will curse all his followers as he cursed God and all of Satan’s followers will be cased into ever burning Hell. Don’t believe this lie I too believed in! Our God is a loving God full of compassion, yet he is a righteous God and must judge what is right. (Matthew 13:41-42)

[@entirelybonkers8832]

​@@william44011bro shut the fuck up this is a video about baking

[@FromagioCristiano]

Granulated sugar was the only one my grandma had at hand on our small family farm. She would bake the merengue (we call it suspiro) and we would all eat it even if it was still hot. RIP grandma I miss you

[@gumisora]

Dominican, right?

[@denisebatalha3552]

SUSPIROS! Yes!

[@denisebatalha3552]

​@@gumisoraPortuguese... 😊

[@nairdacnalbel]

just make sure you get the confectioners sugar that doesn't have added cornstarch. they put labels on these things.

[@lisahinton9682]

@NAIRDACNALBEL Are you in a country other than the USA? Because here, the definition of confectioners' sugar, or powdered sugar, or 10X sugar (all the same, with different names), is small-grain sugar with cornstarch.

[@user-tr2dh4xx6u]

Ohhhh now I understand why some powdered sugar clumps and others never clump, thanks

[@AW-xc1xc]

My whole life I've hated the taste of meringues, but these ones look genuinely tasty

[@jillimi]

Homemade ones are (for me) extremely delicious. And yes, these ones look really tasty. 😋

[@leatheryfoot6354]

Same. It always kinda tasted like raw eggs or wet dog to me.

[@plushdragonteddy]

@@leatheryfoot6354the thing is, i LIKE meringues, but now that you’ve said it i can totally see your point gjdjfndb

[@skye387]

​@@leatheryfoot6354Like sweet eggs with weird texture.

[@william44011]

@@jillimi Have you ever made something an idol, used God’s name as a cuss word, dishonor your parents, murder (God views hate as murder), lusting, stealing, lying, wanting something another has that isn’t rightfully yours? Doing so we violating the law, which is sin, and because of sin there is a punishment…If a serial killer like Ted Bundy tells a judge of all the good things he’s done for society do you think the judge would let the serial killer off free? The same is with us; we’ve committed such crimes against God that we are separated from God forever; we are punished by suffering Hell for eternity, a place with no hope for us. But God loves us so much and with all his heart that he gave his only Son, Jesus Christ, to this cursed world to be crucified on the cross. (John 3:16-17) Now anyone who accepts Jesus Christ, God’s Son, as their Lord and Savior and believes he rose from the dead the third day will be saved from eternal damnation in Hell and live in Heaven in paradise with him forever. Many will choose to follow Satan, whether it be because they think they won’t succeed otherwise or won’t have any joy or friendships, but he will soon reveal himself as a murderer and a liar as he was since the beginning and he will curse all his followers as he cursed God and all of Satan’s followers will be cased into ever burning Hell. Don’t believe this lie I too believed in! Our God is a loving God full of compassion, yet he is a righteous God and must judge what is right. (Matthew 13:41-42)

[@Yellow_Flannel]

I’ve never learned so much about a hobby I’ll never be into. It’s just well thought out and explained content. You do a great job.

[@Xav.p]

This channel is legitimately helpful

[@dented42]

This is why I prefer to make Italian meringue. No starch needed and the sugar dissolves completely

[@Stoopiepoopie12]

I freaking love this guy

[@Dvora_]

My mom does it by melting the sugar into a syrup 🥲

[@kynomancy]

that's italian meringue, this is french meringue. both good methods :)

[@Dvora_]

@@kynomancy ahhhh okaay

[@janastan1125]

I fucking love this channel lol

[@danieldominguez5180]

But what if we use caramel? I mean sacarose have the property of being the only sugar that caramelises and in that procces forma polimers

[@chukwunyeremadubata8364]

Huge congratulations on 1 million followers fan. Your videoes always put a smile on my face and make me hungry

[@christopherthomasson5418]

Awesome thanks!☺️👍 I genuinely appreciate your videos Would love to see a tutorial on the unbaked types of meringues as well! Like how to do a Swiss/french/italian style meringue or even a torched meringue

[@LotusHearted]

How would baker’s sugar do? It’s finer than granulated, but coarser than powdered, with no starch.

[@starlinguk]

So caster sugar.

[@RoundBaguette]

​@@starlingukpowdered sugar

[@RoundBaguette]

With no starch easy as that

[@ella_cupcake]

@@starlingukYeah, it has a few different names

[@katiekawaii]

​@@RoundBaguette Powdered sugar is different from baker's sugar (or caster sugar, which I think is the more common name for it in the UK). Bakers/caster sugar is like granulated sugar but the granules are a lot smaller (but not as fine as powdered sugar).

[@randomtiger8406]

My cooking skills across the board have gotten better by watching these.

[@TheClaramayBelles]

Using only the powered sugar option as well as using the both types of sugar option had the best results but all the meringues looked delicious 😋 ❤

[@knit2purl]

Have you ever considered showing sugar alternatives and how they behave in cooking? It’d be interesting to see stevia or honey or something in a meringue and how to make it work!

[@catpride1323]

Thats a good idea... It's there a name for one made with honey? I think that's a thing... 🤔

[@ryanfierro4897]

Man I’m too early for the kind comments I guess everyone’s cynical so far

[@Voxitie]

KZbin’s apparently bugged rn showing only recent comments. This video is from like 11 days ago 😭

[@dagmarabiernat2783]

Contains starch? That's the first time I hear about something this 😮😮 Tho that may be also because we often grinded the sugar ourselves... 🤔🤔

[@thelordoflore6572]

powdered sugar is often confused with confectioners sugar, which contains starch

[@dagmarabiernat2783]

@@thelordoflore6572 Ah, that makes sense actually

[@Ragnarok20770]

THE KING IS BAAAACK!!

[@a_lethe_ion]

Idk what is in your sugar but our powdered sugar is just Powdered sugar? Like you have to sieve it bc it will clump bc is hygroscopic but yeah, that's not an universal thing, not all powdered sugars have starch as anti clump bit

[@TruliLoveli]

Ngl, this is very interesting ❤ I'm going to get around to trying all of these methods out, thank you sm! 🥰

[@PNWGoodvibes]

I literally have never baked in my life but the videos and info you put out I'd genuinely amazing.

[@starlinguk]

I just checked my bag of icing sugar. No starch.

[@veeveeleo]

You have upped my game 110 %, awesome tips everytime !

[@user-dh5pm9bv7n]

OMG! Thanks so much for this! I love making meringues, but I always found that they turn out a bit gritty. Had no idea you could use powdered sugar. Gonna run and try this ASAP! 💛

[@Earthling_B3rry]

Meringue is so underrated imo it's one of my fav foods😭

[@mamaharumi]

Can you do divinity, please?

[@catpride1323]

Oh yes please !!!

[@mohamedaminegouiaa6030]

Or you can use the food processor to blend the sugar and get it close to the powdered sugar texture,without adding the starch

[@liztanoe2251]

What if you put your normal sugar into a food processor to basically make your own powdered sugar without the starch?

[@HeavenDelights]

Hey, you’re a blessing to all bakers around the world!🎉 💜

[@Choujifangirl]

Ohhhhhh, that makes sense I’m going to try that the next time I make meringue thank you for the tip😁👍

[@Veronicz]

I love your channel. I’m glad to see you’ve surpassed 1M subscribers, too

[@ts4686]

Youre like the oracle of baking 😊

[@bjhenry7988]

I love French Meringue so much!

[@mamavibetribe8878]

For Aussies caster sugar dissolves just fine. Icing mixture has strach added to stop clumping and icing sugar is just sugar. Be careful adding different sugars by cup as it will affect the weight and therefore the sweetness and structure of the meringues.

[@naingaung2748]

‘Weeping Meringues’ has to be a band name.

[@KittyGamer1514]

You can grind your own powdered sugar, you just need to take granulated sugar and grind it in a mortar and pestle.

[@SunbaeDan]

This is good to know! One PSA I can provide is: in regards to powdered sugar, you can make it by getting your refined sugar and putting it in a high power blender or spice grinder (way back, I think I used a magic bullet). It may not be as fine, but it will be devoid of starch and break up and lump that may have formed in you regular sugar too.

[@eat_avertical_tortilla_chip]

Caster sugar is a finely ground granulated sugar, some countries sell it as 'powdered sugar'. Confectioners sugar is a finely ground sugar with (usually) corn starch in it.

[@yeseniamuniz1007]

I don't want to knock your science and trials I'd just like to add my own anecdotal perspective that if you start adding the granulated sugar as soon as you start mixing instead of waiting till it's foamy there's a better chance it will fully dissolve. I am currently in pastry school and have made meringues multiple times most of them were made with granulated sugar, some of them were with cooked sugar syrups, and very few have been made with powdered sugar. That being said I love your content and I kind of wish I found it before going to pastry school, just have a little extra knowledge, because you have shown a lot of things I ended up learning there.

[@eewalktub8907]

You can do 2x as much sugar as egg whites and 10% of the sugar in starch to get a nice consistency. Whip it hard until you can hold the bowl over your head and the meringue doesn’t fall out. Ezpz

[@Mazazamba]

This used to be a popular street food in Tapachula. I was addicted to those things. You don't see turrones all that often anymore.

[@Icantstopcrafting]

There is also ultrafine (AKA baker's) sugar. Which is much smaller granules than regular sugar, but not as fine, clumpy, or potentially starchy as powdered sugar. I found it in a French silk pie recipe and always use it in my meringues *chef's kiss*

[@yanasto]

I like using caster sugar, or superfine sugar. You can make it yourself with a food processor.

[@TruelySkit]

icing sugar vs powdered sugar, icing sugar is for making icings and it has added starch to help with consistency and stopping the sugar from clumping while pure powdered sugar does not which means it can clump up

[@MyZenSafari]

I love these comparations! It helped me to improve my cooking skills so much

[@May-qq4cv]

Couldn't pay attention to what you were saying because the meringues looked sooooo good

[@demonfedor3748]

You can also mill granulated sugar in a coffee grinder. A little more work but guaranteed no starch. Best merengues ever from that.

[@om3ga5]

ugh i love your channel what a lifesend like whenever i wanna bake something i always check here for any tips

[@imaginefinding]

What if i just chucked my granulated sugar into a blender before using? I honestly hate powdered sugar because storing it is a nightmare when your average humidity is like 80%

[@tt7762]

Can't wait to try it!!

[@benitocarrillo9957]

Never had one, now I desperately need it.

[@kayn9651]

When I lived with my mom we never spent money on powdered sugar, we'd just use a clean coffee grinder to powder our own sugar and hey, it works a charm.

[@andyv2209]

using caster sugar is a good alternative to powdered and granular. its finer than granulated sugar so it disolves much more easily but its harder to find in stores.

[@cdeathlonger7446]

Wow.. this explains exactly what i struggled with. I was using only granulated sugar. Thank you

[@jessehodge4418]

You can get powdered sugar that does not contain starch. The starch prevents the sugar from clumping, so pure powdered sugar should be sifted well before use. I've never had a problem with granulated sugar not properly dissolving even when I've used raw and brown sugars. It's possible you're whisking the meringue too quickly or adding the sugar too much at a time. I was always taught that weeping was caused by whisking too fast as well. Is it possible that your meringues are weeping and your sugar isn't dissolved because you're whisking on too high of a setting. You also increase the risk of breaking your meringue by doing this. If this proves a persistent problem, you could always make a swiss meringue instead.

[@JoTheBlackWolf]

U can also just use castor sugar that's a lot finer and will dissolve completely. The French meringue is the easiest method that can have this problem, but to prevent it u can use the Italian meringue method that is to melt the sugar first into a syrup (with a little water) and then pour it into the egg whites while mixing.

[@badasspinkpony5486]

Caster sugar, sometimes called baker's sugar or superfine sugar, is a great middle ground. The granules are small so it dissolves evenly, but they don't add starch so no risk of a statchy taste

[@Dontbesosoft]

I'm going to take a shot every time he says meringue ;)

[@OLIVER36758]

These videos are so helpful

[@k_m_SFbay]

Perhaps someone already pointed this out, but using organic powdered sugar, instead of conventional, circumvents the cornstarch & its unwanted flavor. Organic includes tapioca starch instead…so it obv doesn’t totally preclude possible over-starchiness, but at least *much* more neutral flavor.

[@daveyjones8969]

I like adding anchovies to my merangue patties.

[@mjb405]

If i made a meringue that looked like the first, I would weep too

[@ihdieselman]

That color is awesome on the kitchen aid but they had one on display in Greenville Ohio that was actually plated copper that was then brushed and clear coated to make an absolutely stunning finish. I don't know if it was ever available for sale though

[@anaxiomenes3964]

Ice cream… right, it is not pastry technology but it is a staple commonly used in pastry treats. Could you cover in a presentation the “old fashion” way of making simple, but descent ice cream? Well it is because… not everyone can afford buying/having the electrical gadget. Your presentations are concise and to the point. Furthermore, the format of presenting options turbocharges one’s batteries to undertaking the task of pulling the rabbit out of the hat surely expecting different satisfactory results using a base recipe. Appreciate your effort AND that of your team.

[@savannahfoote592]

Hey I just learned this from Claire Saffitz! Nice to see this a second source ❤

[@Blueeyesthewarrior]

Is that why my meringue weeps whenever I make it?!? Absolute life saver.

[@0roseable]

In Australia we have icing sugar (which is pure powdered sugar) and icing mixture (which contains some kind of starch along with the powdered sugar).

[@feverlaser]

you can make starch-free powdered sugar by just putting granulated sugar in a blender and blending it. you can also make powdered brown sugar with this method, though i havent really tried using it much.

[@-desertpackrat]

I just prefer to make Italian meringue because you make part of the sugar into a simple syrup and drizzle it hot into the meringue which dissolves most of the granulated sugar added prior.

[@theoceancookie]

we make our own powdered sugar with a neat little machine. dont gotta worry about additives or running out :) it also grinds cinnamon from whole sticks

[@lateformyownbirth]

Caster sugar supremacy

[@raeesahm9117]

This is why you should use caster sugar 😊

[@Proud_Troll]

We're gonna ring this to my roof. And to my seesaw. And to my clouds.

[@a11aaa11a]

Just use caster sugar. You can also wait for granulated sugar to dissolve in the egg whites. I wouldn't ever use powdered sugar, you can always somewhat taste the anti-caking agents.

[@BrikBeans]

I love Benjamin da BAKER

[@peachy6969]

i wish you did more long form content :(

[@Phoaru]

A wizard!!

[@patrickmontez6843]

You need a cookbook dude

[@NYs9thwonder]

I needed this!

[@spiderdude2099]

Alternatively, use a sugar syrup, or the Italian meringue method that fully dissolves the sugar in the egg white before whipping with mild heat.

[@cousinmajin]

I've learned from your channel that if there are two variations of a baking ingredient, it's best to go with both lol

[@psvradamlevine6215]

As Adam Ragusea stated in his macaroon video, "They dont have to look perfect. They just have to taste good."

[@PinkishBeans]

Tip: blend granulated sugar to make pure powder sugar

[@Chloroauric]

why do I find all of these delicious

[@arielkmusic]

I just blend my sugar to super fine in my slice grinder or blender, and it works well.

[@gabrielbarnes6657]

this guy is the baker i wish to become

[@myself3209]

You just have to whip that granulated sugar longer to fully dissolve it, but its same result like powdered. I tried it both.

[@HaileyWatson]

...I just add cream of tartar, granulated sugar, egg whites, and vanilla extract and then beat the crap out of it until I get the texture I want. By beating the granulated sugar instantly with other wet ingredients it mostly dissolves so iv NVR had a result like urs. I think the cream of tartar helps structurally, idk, but it works so I'm not changing it

[@cherryblossomtherum5260]

As I heard from a wise voice from the stars “it’s like eating drywall that loves you.”

[@zerasth3numb3r88]

In puerto rico we call those merengues (the u is silent) kinda cool to see how theyre made

[@assortedfrogs5879]

I’ve always used all granulated sugar and dissolved it over a double boiler.

[@evanmitchell2188]

Bro ive only ever had meringue from a grocery store and it i always liked the outside meringue but the inside was like a marshmallow

[@Arriving_Jam]

I’m surprised caster sugar isn’t mentioned here because it’s so great for meringue!

[@akiblue]

If you have a smoothie blender, just put your sugar in there and pulse a few times, You get powdered sugar without starch.