why will my egg whites not set and go peaky ....

[missdoolally]

all i get is a thick creamy consistency
it will not go stiff, what am i doing wrong ??
has any body a fall proof way of making a pavlova please ?

the slightest amount of yolk in with the white will do this.

as will the smallest amount of oil or grease in the bowl/ whisk (not that I'm saying you have a dirty bowl, you understand! but that will cause this to happen)

bowl wasn't clean?

or have you overwhipped and gone past peaky without noticing?

what are you whipping them with?

You have to make sure that your whisk and bowl are completely clean (i.e. no yolk or batter etc on them) and that you have no yolk in the whites. Also it takes quite a bit of whipping to get the peaky consistency.

If you wipe the bowl with a cut lemon, and the whisk too, then wipe with kitchen towel, it should degrease them. Also make sure absolutely zero yolk.

I use vinegar instead of lemon, I just give everything a wipe over with it.

Wipe the bowl out beforehand with half a lemon, it will get rid of any grease which is generally the cause of rubbish peaks.

Agree wit other posts... a single yolk molecule and yer stuffed, peak wise.