Recipe: Italian Meringue

1 In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour your sugar with your mineral water, place your thermometer and stop cooking at 120°C (250°F) so your sugar will be cooked at the "firm ball" stage, remove from heat.

2 In a saucepan, break your egg whites, then whip them into stiff peaks, then gradually in a thin stream (like a mayonnaise) pour in your boiling syrup while stirring with a whisk until your meringue is lukewarm.

3 Cook for 2 hours 15 minutes at 95°C (205°F) (gas mark 3+). Leave your oven slightly open, for example by placing a cork stopper in the oven door opening.

That's it, you're done. If you live in a humid place, store your meringues in an airtight box so they don't become "sticky" as they cool. Now you can make small cakes, meringue flans, various desserts, tarts, brioches, the famous "zuppa inglese", ice creams, etc.