Pâte à bombe, like the meringue, is a basic pastry technique indispensable for making various desserts such as mousses, semifreddos and tiramisu and is also known as the “semifreddo base” or the “pasteurized tiramisu base“. The pâte à bombe is very simple to make: it is prepared by pouring a sugar-and-water syrup heated to 250°F over the yolks while whisking. Pâte à bombe is also a home pasteurization method, very useful when you need to use raw yolks or raw eggs — remember to subtract the amount of sugar used to prepare it from the recipe! Now let’s go to the kitchen and discover how to make it; you’ll be surprised by how simple it is! As always, before heading to the kitchen, if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).

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Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Low cost
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients to make pâte à bombe

3 egg yolks (about 1.6–1.8 oz each (about 45–50 g))
2 3/4 tbsp water
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Tools

Thermometer
Bowl
Hand mixer

Steps

To make the pâte à bombe, pour the water and sugar into a small saucepan and place over the stove, cooking the syrup over medium heat until it reaches a temperature of 250°F. However, when it reaches 239°F, pour the yolks into a bowl and start whipping them.
As soon as the syrup reaches 250°F, pour it in a thin stream over the yolks while continuing to whisk at high speed until you obtain a fluffy, pale, and airy mixture. Whisk until the mixture reaches room temperature; the pâte à bombe is then ready to be used in any recipes that call for it.
Consume the preparation the same day.