Corn Syrup for Italian Meringue Buttercream

[Cee]

Hello, I live in the Caribbean and we currently have a sugar shortage on our island. Specifically white sugar. I am looking for an alternative way to make Italian buttercream icing and am wondering how to use corn syrup in place of the usual sugar syrup. It is much thicker than the syrup used and has to be heated to add to the egg whites. Should it be diluted before heating or dilute with boiled water? Any ratio? Has anyone done this? I have made it with a brown sugar syrup, but we have a shortage of that too!

 

[Mona]

You can use corn syrup as a substitute for sugar syrup in Italian Meringue Buttercream, but you'll need to dilute it first. Mix the corn syrup with water in a 1:1 ratio to make it easier to work with. Heat this mixture to about 240°F (115°C), just like you would with regular sugar syrup. Use the same amount of this diluted corn syrup as you would sugar syrup in your recipe. Adjust the water if needed to get the right consistency.