Meringues are perfect little treats to satiate that sugar/dessert craving. Composed of sugar and egg whites, they're not all that bad for you. Everything in moderation, of course. The wonderful thing about meringues is that you can improvise and get creative depending on what you feel like. You can add some cocoa powder for chocolate meringues, or maybe lemon extract, or even coloring. Meringues can be piped into stars, mushrooms, or just large white clouds!
The history behind where meringues originated is widely contested. However, Wikipedia notes that "Slowly baked meringues are still referred to as 'pets' (meaning farts in French) in the Loire region in France due to their light and fluffy texture". Interesting. In any case, meringue lends itself to a variety of recipes including angel food cake, pavlova, vacherins, baked Alaska, meringue pies, île flottante, and macarons (with the addition of almond meal of course).
The three types of meringue are Italian, French, and Swiss. I find that Italian meringue makes a really awesome frosting (especially since the whites are cooked by the sugar), though a little bit more work is involved.
Italian Meringue:
100g egg whites
200g granulated sugar
50g water
Cook the sugar to 121°C. Begin whipping the egg whites when the sugar is at 100°C. Gradually pour the cooked sugar into the whipped egg whites, taking care not to pour onto the whisk. Whip until the meringue is completely cool. Bake at a maximum of 100°C.
French Meringue:
200g egg whites
200g granulated sugar
200g icing/powdered sugar
Whip the egg whites and gradually add the sugar. Delicately fold in the icing/powdered sugar. Bake at a maximum of 100°C.
Swiss Meringue:
200g egg whites
400g granulated sugar
Whip the egg whites and sugar in a bain marie until the meringue reaches 45°C. Whip until cool. Dry the meringue in the oven at 90°C.
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