What is Meringues ?
Meringues eaten like biscuits are baked at a very low heat for a long time. One name for them is forgotten cookies as they can be left in a gas oven for long periods of time after the cooking is done. They are not supposed to be “tanned” at all, but they need to be very crisp and dry. They will keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container.
Meringue can be used as the basis for various desserts including baked Alaska, bruttiboni, dacquoise, Esterházy torte, Eton mess, floating island, key lime pie, Kyiv cake, lemon meringue pie, macarons, merveilleux, pavlova, Queen of Puddings, sans rival, silvana, Spanische Windtorte, and Zuger Kirschtorte. In some recipes, the meringue may be cooked at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time, resulting in a soft meringue with slightly browned peaks on top. Another dish is meringue de angel, which consists of shortbread biscuits layered with meringue and lemon curd, topped off with drizzled lemon glaze. Variations include assorted fruits such as raspberries, peaches, mangoes, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pineapple, papayas, honeydew, oranges,
cantaloupe.
Meringue may be used for embellishment. It can be formed into whimsical shapes, such as that of a mushroom, or piped into a crisp basket that is baked and filled later with cake, fruit, or flowers.
