Finnish Meringue Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What country are meringue cookies from? ›

The origin of meringue

It was invented in 1720 by the Swiss pastry chef Gasparini, although some sources say it already existed then and was only improved by this illustrious chef. French and Italian chefs each created their own version, so today there are three different types of meringue: French, Italian, and Swiss.

One of the most common mistakes is not beating the eggs long enough, or on too slow a speed, which means the egg whites won't reach stiff peak stage and instead only reach a soggy droopy stage.

Chewy meringues are the result of two possible situations, under-baking and humidity. If they are under-baked they might always be a little chewy. For humidity, you can try popping the meringues back into the oven on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 200°F for 10 minutes to try crisping them up a bit.

Meringue rule 1: Don't let any egg yolk wind up in your bowl. This was the first rule I learned in culinary school. Yolks equal fat, and fat makes it pretty much impossible for the proteins in your egg whites to unravel and start forming bubbles. Fat will coat the proteins, preventing them from becoming friends.

The cornflour and vinegar that is added strengthens the egg white and make it more stable and you get the marshmallowy centres from the shorter cooking time.

There are several types of meringue, with the three most common being French, Swiss and Italian. Each type varies based on preparation, texture and stability. Knowing the difference between the meringues will help you understand when to use each recipe in your baking.

Swiss meringue is a gently cooked meringue — the egg whites and sugar are (continually) whisked together and heated over a double-boiler until the sugar dissolves, the mixture starts to thicken, and it reaches about 130° on a candy thermometer (or as determined by your recipe).

Meringue cookies are baked at a very low heat for a long time. Another name for them is forgotten cookies, as they can be left in an oven for a long time after the cooking is done. They are not supposed to become tan at all, but they need to be very crisp and dry.

It doesn't have to be perfect, but if there are too many undissolved pieces of sugar, it means it's not fully dissolved into the protein layer of the egg whites. When this happens, your meringues won't come out crisp and they might seep liquid during baking as the sugar melts out of the meringue.

This is a good cookie to make in the evening; meringues can be left in the oven (with the heat turned off) overnight.

Why do my meringue cookies taste eggy? ›

To ensure that your meringue is sweet and not eggy, make sure to use fresh egg whites, beat them to soft peaks, add sugar gradually and make sure it's fully dissolved, and use appropriate amounts of vinegar or cream of tartar. You probably forgot to put the sugar and a tiny pinch of salt in when you were beating it.

Over whip the egg whites and you risk making them too firm and they will risk losing the moisture that they hold. This will affect your meringue's crispness, as well as making it more likely to collapse or weep beads of sugar. As my meringue guru Gary Mehigan advises: “If you over whip the egg whites you cannot fix it.

There are a few different variations. You will often find homemade ones have a crispy exterior and a chewy or softer interior. Store bought meringues are often crisp all the way through.

After turning the oven off, you can leave meringue cookies inside to finish drying out. Crack the oven door if you're worried the heat will be too high. You can also use the oven to re-crisp soggy or stale meringues. Put them in at a low temperature for ten minutes.

Any kind of grease ruins meringue. That means that your cooking utensils need to be immaculately clean. Even if you're sure they're clean but they've been sitting in your kitchen for a while, run some hot, hot water over them and dry with a clean dish towel or paper towel.

Egg whites are a crucial ingredient in both meringues and soufflés, and they contribute significantly to the texture and taste of these desserts. In meringues, egg whites are beaten until they become stiff and form peaks. This process traps air bubbles in the mixture, which give the meringue its light and airy texture.