Meringue : A small patisserie made from egg white and sugar.
Historians of cookery say that this little patisserie was invented in 1720. This invention is attributed to a Swiss pastry cook called Gasparini from the small town of Mehrinyghen, hence the name.
Was meringue a prefered food of the royalty?
The first meringues made in France were served in Nancy to King Stanislaus who praised them highly. It was he no doubt who gave the recipe for the sweet to Marie Leczinska who also enjoyed it very much. Queen Marie Antoinette had a great liking for meringues as well. Court lore says she made them herself at the Trianon, where she also made vacherins which are similar.
Les Merveilles de Fred in Boulogne-Billancourt
One of the current shops dedicated to meringue in France, Les Merveilles de Fred, continues the royal aspect of the pastry using massive crystal chandeliers, gold, mirrors and royal silhouettes to decorate their rather baroque shops. Their products are handcrafted in each boutique in full view of the customer and passers-by.
Frédéric Vaucamps is a pastry chef from the north of France. In the 80s, he revisited one of the traditional specialties of Flanders, the Merveilleux. His secret? an inimitable meringue, that gives this pastry all its lightness which is then coated in whipped cream and sprinkles. In true French form there’s a mini…. In 1997, he decided to give the name of his re-creation to his first shop in Lille, “Aux Merveilleux de Fred”. Le Merveilleux is chocolate flavored. In addition there is the Incroyable (speculous and white chocolate), the Sans-culotte (carmel), the Excentrique (cherry) just to name a few. These meringue delicacies names actually evoke a certain period in the history of France, under the Directory (right after the Monarchy). The Incredibles and the Marvelous, characters of the time, went to salons to talk about politics and the economy, but came there above all to see and be seen, to drink tea and taste pastries. https://auxmerveilleux.com/fr/3-nos-patisseries
La Meringaie, rue Daguerre 75014. Photo by Lynn Rovida.
La Meringaie is a more discreet contemporary meringue concept with an smooth clean décor. They specializes in a Pavlova type product. A Pavlova is named for the famous Russian ballerina and was developed in either Australia or New Zealand in the early 20th century after Anna Pavlova’s appearance there. Their petal shaped meringue shell is filled with very delicate cream in various flavors and decorated with combinations of fresh fruits. A lovely dessert blending crispy, creamy and fresh while remaining very light. Recently the “flavor of the month” was “Canadian” with cranberry and maple. Regular flavors are citrus-mango, chocolate… The shops were created by Marie Stoclet Bardon et Benoît Bardon both fans of the Pavlova. La Meringaie, born of a passion, developed by entrepreneurs is a family affair of contemporary elegance. https://www.lameringaie.com/
Our sample of pavlovas from La Méringaie
Chez le boulanger
At one point merignue may have been the food of kings and queens, but today meringue is so popular in France that most boulangeries make their own for sale for goûté. Merignue can be an elegant dessert or an everyday snack. There are in fact three types of meringue light, crisp and cloud-like French, stickier, foamy Italian and chewier Swiss.
Chez vous
>>Basic French meringue
12 egg whites, 500 g fine sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, flavoring. Chef Simon suggests a light hand when adding flavoring and powered colorants. Some suggested flavorings are here. https://chefsimon.com/articles/additifs-les-aromes-en-cuisine
Whisk the whites to a stiff foam. Add the salt and sugar. Pipe in the desired shape and size on buttered and floured, baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a very low oven. Chef Simon says to bake them 1 hour at 90°C then 1 hour 85°C and longer if the interior is not yet dry. After taking the meringues out of the oven press the center of each with a thumb to make a little hollow. Keep in a dry place. https://chefsimon.com/gourmets/chef-simon/recettes/meringue-francaise
>>Swiss meringue
Six egg whites, 500g of icing or confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, vanilla a pinch of salt
Work the sugar with two whites of egg, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. When the mixture is very white and smooth add the 4 remaining whites to big whisked to a stiff froth. Mix well. Pipe as indicated above. Bake in the oven. Swiss meringue‘s are decorated with crystalized fruit, and sprinkled with colored sugar and are most often used to decorate different types of cakes or filled to make macarons.
>>Italian meringue
Whisk 8 egg whites until very stiff. Add a syrup made of 500 g sugar and 1 cup water cooked to 238°F. Pour the syrup in a thin thread on the egg whites while whisking vigorously or use electric beaters. Italian meringue is not baked in the oven, but can be browned with a blow torch on top of pie filling or used on a baked Alaska (called omelette norvegienne in French!) https://fusac.fr/why-is-it-called-pastries-and-desserts/
What to do with meringue?
The French tend to eat them juste comme ça, simply colored and flavored in large oversize puffs. Meringue is one of the rare things the French do oversized! A fun rainy day project for and with les gosses is bake sticks in to make a meringue lollipop. https://www.ptitchef.com/recettes/dessert/meringues-sucettes-fid-1567127
Baked Alaska, Pavlova, lemon meringue pie are also meringue desserts. Eton Mess is perfect for when the meringues come out all crumbly and fall apart. You can incorporate almond powder to make a Dacquoise – a shaped cookie used as a base in several French pastries. One of those recipes within a recipe.
Americans like to make meringues into cookies by adding chocolate, nuts, citrus zest or coconut flakes then scooping them into mounds with a spoon rather than do fancy piping. Try the recipe below.
Did you know you can also make savory meringues for The Apéro. You omit the sugar and cook in a slightly hotter over for less time. Delicious when decorated and flavored with tomato and parmesan for example.
If you make merignue what to do with all the egg yolks?
Maybe this is why meringue concoctions often have cream. Pastry Cream (or Crème Pâtissière) is a quintessential part of pastry making. It is basically a rich, creamy custard of sugar, egg yolks and flour. It’s an important component for many desserts. Some other yolk-only recipes include mayonnaise, caramel creams, aïoli, crème brûlée, custard, duchesse potatoes and many other lovely things.
PS: Leftover egg yolks and egg whites can easily be frozen for future recipes. I often put them into ice cube trays to make it easier to dose out just one or two yolks or whites.
>>American-style Meringue cookies
1/4 cup salted peanuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios (other the other or all 4!) chopped
1/3 cup, dark chocolate, chopped
6 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (this is the acidic element, you could substitute 1 teaspoon of lemon juice)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Heat the oven to 250°F with a rack in the middle position. Liner rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment. In a small bowl, toss together the nuts and the chocolate.
In a mixer with a whisk attachment whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on medium until frothy and opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixture running, gradually add the sugar. Add vanilla, then increase to high and beat for five minutes minimum. The whites should become thick, shiny and hold stiff peaks. Using a spatula fold in the orange zest and half of the nut chocolate mixture.
Scoop the mixture into 12 mounds on the baking sheet spacing evenly apart. Slightly smooth the tops and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate nut mixture.
Bake for 1 1/4 hours Until pale golden brown. Turn off the oven, prop open the door and leave the meringues in to fully dry and crisp, about 45 minutes.