So, is meringue safe to eat? Mostly, yes. If you buy it from a bakery, they’re using hot syrup or heat treatment. If you make it at home, just follow the instructions: hot sugar syrup for Italian, thorough baking for French. Don’t eyeball the oven time—use a thermometer if you’re scared.
Can you eat meringue straight from the bowl? I won’t scream at you if you do (I’m not your mom), but I’d suggest using pasteurized eggs. Otherwise, you’re rolling the dice for the sake of a spoonful of sugar fluff. Is that fluff worth a hospital visit? You decide.
Sarah took my advice, baked her cookies for an extra ten minutes, and lived to tell the tale. She’s now a meringue evangelist. So go make that pavlova. Just treat those egg whites with a little respect—and maybe a splash of vanilla.
The only thing you should truly be afraid of? How fast those cookies disappear. Boom. Crisis averted.
