Sometimes egg whites are just uncooperative. I've had to start over with fresh egg whites. Sometimes you just need more egg whites than the recipe calls for - you make excess meringue but the beaters need some extent of it. No yolk contaminating whatsoever, whip it as fast as your mixer will go...cream of tartar can also help it get going big and fluffy. That said, the hardest part is the patience. I remember being in middle school and being exasperated at my grandmother telling me to just beat them longer (followed by stories of making meringue by hand...).
As for the gloppy lemon curd...did you use a double boiler? That really helps in keeping it hot when you're doing other bits.
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Sometimes egg whites are just uncooperative. I've had to start over with fresh egg whites. Sometimes you just need more egg whites than the recipe calls for - you make excess meringue but the beaters need some extent of it. No yolk contaminating whatsoever, whip it as fast as your mixer will go...cream of tartar can also help it get going big and fluffy. That said, the hardest part is the patience. I remember being in middle school and being exasperated at my grandmother telling me to just beat them longer (followed by stories of making meringue by hand...).
As for the gloppy lemon curd...did you use a double boiler? That really helps in keeping it hot when you're doing other bits.
1000 points to the Jim and Jim Family.