Instructions: In my last book, Passover Desserts, I recommended that the meringue be made by beating the eggs over simmering water. The National Egg Board now recommends that the eggs be stirred, rather than beaten because there is a small chance that the foamy part of the eggs will not reach a high enough temperature. I tried many times, in vain, to get the eggs to 160 F, but each time they overcooked. Then I read Alice Medrichs book, Chocolate and the Art of Lowfat Desserts.

Alices method, below, is foolproof, and I always use it now. To make her meringue, Alice mixes the eggs with a smaller amount of sugar than I do. This makes a delicious, but fairly soft meringue. When made with cream of tartar, it will keep for several hours. I dont use cream of tartar, because it is not kosher. I also like to make my desserts at least one day ahead to allow for unforeseen circumstances. For these reasons, I use a higher proportion of sugar.

This makes a stiffer, more marshmallowy meringue, but it is very stable and weeps very little, even after several days in the refrigerator.

1. Fill a large skillet with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer. In a small metal bowl, whisk the egg whites with the sugar and the room temperature water. Have a rubber scraper, instant-read thermometer, a timer, another mixing bowl and a beater near the stove.

2. Place the bowl with the egg white mixture into the simmering water, and rapidly stir with the rubber scraper for 20 seconds.

Remove the bowl from the simmering water and check the temperature of the egg mixture. If the eggs are not yet at 160 F, heat for 10 more seconds. Remove the bowl from the water, dip the thermometer into the boiling water (to bring it up in temperature quickly and to kill any bacteria on it), and then retest. Continue until the egg whites reach 160 F, the temperature needed to kill salmonella. Do not heat much higher, or the eggs will overcook. The time that it takes depends upon the type of bowl and pot that are being used - Ive had it take from 20 to 80 seconds.

3. As soon as the eggs reach 160 F, transfer them to a cool bowl, and beat at medium-high speed until the egg whites are firm and cool.

They will mixture look like shaving cream and stand in stiff peaks when the beater is raised from them.

which are for decoration only): 129 Calories, 3g Fat (16%), 24mg

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