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1
Heat the Oven and Prep the Trays
10 Mins
Oven, 110°C (225°F)
Heat the oven to 110°C (225°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Draw 12 circles about 8 cm across on the paper as a piping guide, then flip the paper over.
Low and slow is the whole secret — a hot oven browns and cracks meringues.
Done when: The oven is at 110°C (225°F) and the trays are lined and marked.
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2
Whip the Egg Whites
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks. Whisk in the vanilla last.
Add the sugar slowly — dumping it in all at once makes a grainy meringue that weeps in the oven.
Done when: The meringue is glossy, holds a stiff peak, and feels smooth between your fingers.
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3
Pipe the Meringues
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Spoon the meringue into a piping bag with a large star nozzle and pipe 12 swirled mounds onto the marked circles, or simply spoon them on and swirl the tops with the back of a spoon.
Pipe tall and proud — the meringues barely spread, so what you pipe is what you get.
Done when: Twelve even mounds sit on the trays, ready for the oven.
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4
Bake Low and Slow
90 Mins
Oven, 110°C (225°F)
Bake for 90 minutes without opening the door, until the meringues are crisp, dry and lift easily off the paper. They should stay white or only faintly cream.
Resist peeking — every time the door opens, the temperature drops and the meringues can crack.
Done when: The meringues are dry, crisp and pale, and come away cleanly from the paper.
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5
Cool in the Oven
30 Mins
Oven cooling, about 110°C (225°F) down to room temperature
Switch the oven off and leave the meringues inside with the door closed for 30 minutes to dry out completely, then lift them onto a wire rack.
Cooling in the oven finishes the drying — meringues taken out hot can turn sticky as they cool.
Done when: The meringues are cool, dry and light as air.
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6
Whip the Cream and Serve
10 Mins
Fridge temperature, about 4°C (39°F)
Whip the cold heavy cream with the sour cream until it just holds soft peaks — thick and spoonable, not stiff. Serve two meringues per person with a generous spoonful of the cream and a dusting of icing sugar.
Stop whipping at soft peaks — over-whipped cream turns grainy and buttery.
Done when: The cream is thick, smooth and barely sweet; the meringues are crisp and ready to break into it.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve at once, while the meringues are crisp: two meringues per person with a generous spoonful of double cream. Break the meringue into the cream with a spoon — never assemble them ahead of time.
Switzerland
40m
