Meringue consists of egg whites and sugar that are beaten until firm. It is used as a base for pastry, or as a filling, frosting or decoration, depending on the type of meringue. For this simple, or Swiss, meringue, the egg whites are whipped with extrafine granulated sugar until they form stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted. This meringue is often piped onto desserts or baked as "shells." For "cooked" meringues, the egg whites are beaten with hot sugar syrup or over a heat source.
