So there is some stuff going around about his buttercream, and the fact that he calls is French buttercream. I am really hoping someone can clear some things up for me. This is Duff's recipe from Food network. The egg whites are not cooked in any way. Is that even mildly safe? And isn't French buttercream made with egg yolks? Please some one help as this recipe is being passed around alot on another site and to me it seems very dangerous! Thanks
Ingredients
10 egg whites
15 ounces sugar
2 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, at room temperature
Special Equipment: 5-quart mixer with bowl and whip attachment, rubber spatula
Directions
*Cook's Note: Make sure to have a completely clean and dry mixing bowl when you start your process. Any fat or liquid at all in the bowl will stunt the protein development of the albumen (egg white protein) and you will not have a proper meringue at the end. The results could be disastrous.
Start whipping egg whites slowly in the mixer until foamy. Increase the speed of the mixer and slowly start adding the sugar until all the sugar is incorporated. Once all the sugar is in, increase the speed of the mixer even more and whip until the mixture is shiny and stiff. You now have a meringue. You know when your meringue is done when you pull out the whip, hold it horizontally, and if you have what looks a "sparrow's beak" on the end of the whip.
Replace the whip, turn the mixer on medium and start adding the butter a bit at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer on high and let mix; depending on the weather, the buttercream could take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to form. You will know when it has formed when you hear the motor of the mixer start to slow down and whine a little bit; also, when you first add the butter, your meringue will break down and look weird and this is what you want. When the buttercream is done, the mixture will be homogeneous, consistent, and tasty.
Remove the buttercream from the bowl and transfer to an airtight container. Buttercream can be kept at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for a 1 to 2 weeks, but always use warm buttercream when icing a cake. To warm up the buttercream, put it back in the mixer using the whip or the paddle, and apply direct heat with a propane torch you can find at any hardware store.
If you make a lemon meringue pie you do basically the same thing. You whip egg whites until they get stiff peaks and add sugar slowly to it. Ive seen some people cook it and others on FN use just a blow torch. I think in any case that you have raw items such as egg whites, you can get salmonella from it. They usually state somewhere not to give to infants or the elderly because of their tolerance to e-coli. Im sure you could use a powdered meringue if you are worried about food safety. But the recipe I see doesnt have the water and sugar that is cooked until 350 on a candy thermometer and then drizzled over the egg whites slowly. This actually cooks the egg whites enough that you wont have to worry about e-coli. Its known as a Italian Meringue Buttercream.
You are correct: A French buttercream uses whole eggs or egg yolks which are whipped and soft ball sugar is added (same technique as IMBC).
I believe Duff calls his BC a "French" BC, because it uses a French Meringue (eggs whites & sugar, whipped to peaks) as the base.
There's a lot of fear of raw eggs, but I use them in tons of recipes and techniques... the risk is minimal.
There is only a microscopic chance of getting sick from raw egg whites. I suggest going on you tube and looking for "good eats" and "eggs" Alton Brown (from the food network) has an episode on eggs. There he explains how unbelievablely of a small chance there is of getting sick from raw egg white consumption. It really is quite interesting. 
There is only a microscopic chance of getting sick from raw egg whites. I suggest going on you tube and looking for "good eats" and "eggs" Alton Brown (from the food network) has an episode on eggs. There he explains how unbelievablely of a small chance there is of getting sick from raw egg white consumption. It really is quite interesting.
Also, I think people buy the cartons of egg whites and those have been pasteurized. That way you're not buying whole eggs and using the whites and either throwing out the yolks or hoping you have another recipe to work on that uses the same amount of yolks only.
Also, I think people buy the cartons of egg whites and those have been pasteurized. That way you're not buying whole eggs and using the whites and either throwing out the yolks or hoping you have another recipe to work on that uses the same amount of yolks only.
Actually, many people feel that pasturized carton egg whites don't work very well for meringues. Complaints are that they never whip up as well as fresh egg whites, nor do they hold up whipped as long as the fresh.
Rae
Pasturized egg whites will not hold a decent whip. I always do my buttercream with a hot sugar syrup or egg whites and sugar over simmering water that has to reach a cetain temp., both methods "pasturize" the agg whites or simply but, no bad germies. Now, as far as I know the difference between French MB & I/SMBC is that French is hot syrup beat into egg yolks only & SMBC is hot syrup beat into egg whites, then you start to add the butter. I don't know of any true french buttercream that has egg whites in it.
I've seen Duff mention that the sugar "cooks' the egg whites, in other words there's enough sugar in there to prohibit micro organisms from forming in the buttercream. I'm paranoid though, so I always use the powdered form of pasteurized egg whites just to be on the safe side. The liquid form of pasteurized egg whites never works for me, though others here have told me that if you whip it enough it should work, but I prefer the quickest, least painful path 
The chance of picking up Salmonella from egg whites is very small but a valid concern especially for those who prepare food professionally.
E.Coli is a different bacteria which also causes food poisoning (as well as urinary tract infections - totally different method of transmission!)
azizak wrotes:
I'm interested in trying this recipe. My question is.... which sugar do I use? Powered right? Or do I use granulated? Thanks so much.
No you use granulated sugar. I tried this recipe, wasn't sold on it as it tasted like a stick of butter, so I added white chocolate melts..... OMG now I LOVE IT !!!!!! however with me living in Texas it's not a BC I would try in the summer months but maybe in the winter.
You can replace some of the butter with shortening to add stability and reduce some of the buttery taste. I've used 1/3 parts shortening to 2/3 parts butter. You can also use powdered sugar instead of granulated, this actually is supposed to add to the stability because of the cornstarch contained in the powdered sugar. However, powdered sugar tends to taste sweeter....also, don't use the same amounts of powdered sugar as you would granulated. I just play with the amounts to suit my liking. I tend to use more vanilla in this than I would normally use in a buttercream to mask some of the butter flavor and it comes out great. Oh, when I use the granulated sugar I warm up the egg whites and sugar, just enough to dissolve the sugar otherwise it can turn out grainy. No need with the powdered (but again, I used the pastuerized form of egg whites just in case).
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