I want to make a butterscotch pudding and chill it in ramekins. Since the pudding calls for egg yolks, I thought of making the whites into a meringue topping. If I do that, can I brown the topping with a kitchen torch instead of baking all the puddings in the oven? Or is the baking necessary (e.g., for safety)?
Can you safely torch a meringue topping instead of baking it
meringue
Related Question
- Baking – How to keep meringue pie-topping from falling
- Sugar – Meringue seems to fail at piping stage
- Cake – Too big tin for meringue cake recipe. How to solve
- Cake – How to consistently get golden beads on meringue topping
- How long and how can I hold meringue before macaronage
- Eggs – How to keep meringue white while baking
- Eggs – Can “low fat” eggs have an impact on meringue formation
- Why is the meringue soft, moist and discoloured
- Keeping cream pies set while browning meringue topping
- Baking – How to make a meringue cake layer that is not cracked
Best Answer
Yes you can - if you make the right kind of meringue.
There are three types that vary in the preparation process:
Where egg whites are simply beaten with fine sugar.
Where the egg & sugar is beaten over a water bath.
Where the whites are beaten first and a steady stream of hot sugar syrup is then slowly added while continuing to whip.
The former two are often considered “easier”, but only the latter will result in a meringue that is safe to eat without an additional baking or cooking step. And torching a meringue is merely decorative.