Do you mean sour? I have never had meringue powder turn anything bitter but definitely sour. Did you use the Wilton brand? The first time I tried Charlotte's Whipped Cream Buttercream I used the Wilton meringue powder and everyone thought it was lemon buttercream. Luckily I used it on a lemon cake so that kind of saved it, but I will never make that mistake again.
If I were you, I wouldn't use meringue powder for any meringue buttercream. I would use the powdered egg whites and reconstitute with warm water. They smell a little funky but you can't tell the difference in the final product.
Annie
Do you mean sour? I have never had meringue powder turn anything bitter but definitely sour. Did you use the Wilton brand? The first time I tried Charlotte's Whipped Cream Buttercream I used the Wilton meringue powder and everyone thought it was lemon buttercream. Luckily I used it on a lemon cake so that kind of saved it, but I will never make that mistake again.
If I were you, I wouldn't use meringue powder for any meringue buttercream. I would use the powdered egg whites and reconstitute with warm water. They smell a little funky but you can't tell the difference in the final product.
Annie
I will try to find the powder egg whites, do you know if you would use the same amount?
and wnated to let you know, Lv your BT picture, it looks like my little girl Ziva
I can't remember the brand I used, but it's kind of expensive. There are instructions on the box about how to reconstitute them. It also tells you how much of the powder is equivalent to a raw white. So you just have to follow the directions and replace them just as it says on the box. It's really easy.
I love Bostons. I have two. The one in the picture is Geoffrey and I have another, Bridget. They are half brother and sister and they were born two days apart. They will be three in June.
I forgot to say that meringue powder has all kinds of additives in it, if you look at the label, which is probably why it throws off the taste of the buttercream. The powdered egg whites are just straight egg whites.
I can't remember the brand I used, but it's kind of expensive. There are instructions on the box about how to reconstitute them. It also tells you how much of the powder is equivalent to a raw white. So you just have to follow the directions and replace them just as it says on the box. It's really easy.
I love Bostons. I have two. The one in the picture is Geoffrey and I have another, Bridget. They are half brother and sister and they were born two days apart. They will be three in June.
What is the benefit of using powdered egg whites over fresh egg whites?
Some people may be leery of using shell eggs but with Italian Meringue buttercream you are cooking them to 245 degrees which is well above the 160 required by the American Egg Board.
Swiss meringue buttercream should also be heated to above 160 or it is undercooked and unsafe.
I too, don't get the powdered egg white thing. Eggs are too easy and completely safe if handled correctly. In IMBC, the eggs have actually been turned into a confection.
I've made IMBC with powdered egg whites. For me, it's not a matter of safety or any other reason, other than the convenience of it. I don't want to throw out the egg yolks as I won't have time to make anything else for a while. And I don't want to freeze them either.
I use Deb El Just Whites. They're 100% egg whites. I ordered a few brands once and I found some tiny after taste after using some. Sure enough, I went to check the containers, and the ones with the aftertaste were the other brands. They had sodium lauryl sulfate added as a whipping aid, used usually in shampoos to make a lather.
http://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/food-items/dry-egg-whites/46/593/784/619057/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_dodecyl_sulfate
Don't get those.
I only pay .08 per egg, so a batch of IMBC for a 9 inch cake is .48.
At .13 per egg, the cost is .78.
Is meringue powder cheaper than that?
No, it's not cheaper to make IMBC with dried egg whites. It's a lot more expensive. But I don't sell desserts; this is just a hobby and I give everything away every Monday of the week. If I have the pasteurized liquid egg whites in a carton, I'll use those preferably. But if I'm out of those, I have the dried ones.
Plus, I don't think I can get your prices for my eggs. I go to regular supermarkets where I can buy a dozen eggs for $3.29 or so. At that price, each egg is 27 cents. Dried egg whites would be about $4.62 for 3 oz, which yields 21 egg whites. 22 cents per egg white (no yolk).
Of course, people can buy the dried egg whites cheaper if they're buying in bulk and not at a fancy store. Sometimes, that's as much time I have...just enough to go to the fancy store, grab a can of it, pay for it, and walk away. But I can carry them in my bag without breaking them!
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