Italian meringue is fully cooked and great for baked applications, but you can also use it in unbaked applications such as ice cream bases, piped into decorative shapes or to make Italian buttercream.

For Italian or Swiss-style buttercream, whisk molten sugar (heated to the soft ball stage, 112-116C/234-240F) into whisked egg whites. Whisk the fat into the meringue mixture as it cools – the ...