Peak refers to the shape the whipped ingredient will take when you lift up the beaters or whisk.
The whipped mass will form a point, or peak.
Its the subtle difference in how this peak looks that categorizes it.
The most commonly whipped ingredients that get defined by peaks are heavy cream, and egg whites.
Incorporating air can be a messy business.
If you over-whip your egg whites, you could end up with a dry meringue or deflated souflee.
Under-whip your heavy cream and your icebox cake could slide apart.
Soft peaks
Soft peaks have the loosest texture of the three peaks.
Likewise, heavy cream will no longer have any liquid gathering at the bottom.
The bubbles will be fine and close together, and it will have an overall shiny look.
Youll know youre just about at that stage when you see lines dragging around the whisk.
Itll look kind of like rippled fabric.
Stop whisking and remove the beater.
It might even be a stretch to say whipped cream has a soft peak because its not exactly pointy.
Soft peak stage is silky and light.
(Folding is a term for gently mixing in a specific way to conserve bubbles and aeration.)
This is optimal for recipes that rely on whipped eggs for leavening.
After soft peak, youll reach medium peak within about a minute of beating, so be ready.
Medium peaks are still silky and glossy.
The bubbles are super-fine, and hard to spot as individuals at this point.
Youll know youre at this stage when the ripples look more like deep folds.
The peak will curl or flop slightly, but hold a defined shape and point.
Stiff peaks arent ideal for lightening other mixtures, which is why I call stiff peaks stubborn.
Stiff peaks occur within a scarce 30 to 40 seconds past medium peaks, so be vigilant.
It should still look glossy and luxurious.
Youll be able to tackle recipes like Japanese fluffy pancakes, chocolate mousse, and pavlovas.
