Large and small meringue cookies top a bin
of chocolate chip gelato. Photo courtesy
Vivoli.it.

For an easy fancy dessert, simply serve a scoop of ice cream, gelato or sorbet with airy meringues. They’re easy to make, fat- and cholesterol-free and lower-calorie than other cookies.

The classic way is to serve meringue and ice cream is to create a meringue shell or nest, known as a pavlova, a dish created in honor of the ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) during a tour to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The shell could be filled with ice cream or other soft dessert and topped with berries.

But that approach is old school. A scattering of mini meringues, white and/or colored, is the way to go now.

White meringues are perhaps the most elegant, but you can tint the meringues with food colors. They can also be flavored, and you can add mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts. The instructions are included below.

MERINGUE COOKIE RECIPES

Ingredients

 
*For flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract, mint extract or other extract.

1. PREHEAT oven to 225°.

2. BEAT egg whites in large bowl with electric mixer on low-medium speed, until frothy. If using a freestanding mixer, use wire whisk attachment.

3. ADD cream of tartar; continue to beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Beat in optional extract and food color until well blended. Gently stir in optional chips or nuts. TIP: The meringue is finished if you rub a bit between your fingers and it feels smooth. If it feels gritty, then the sugar has not fully dissolved; keep beating.

4. FIT a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip to make swirled meringues. Otherwise, drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto 2 large foil-lined baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

MERINGUE HISTORY

The exact inventor of meringue is not known. Some culinary historians believe that meringue was invented by an Italian pastry chef named Gasparini in the town of Meiringen, Switzerland.

Others say that the term comes from the Polish word marzynka, and that it was invented by a chef in the service of Stanislas Leszczynski (1677-1736). The king was deposed in 1709 and later became the Duke of Lorraine, in France. In this story of provenance, Stanislas’s daughter Marie, who married French King Louis XV, popularized meringues in France. Her daughter-in-law, Marie Antoinette, was a great fan of meringues and is said to have made them herself at the Petit Trianon, a small château on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles where, out of the public eye, she was able to live like everyday folk. (Everyday rich folk, that is.)

But meringue may in fact be an English invention. The earliest known recipe for a “baked-beaten-egg-white-and-sugar confection” is 1604, found in a book of recipes begun then by Lady Elinor Fettiplace of Oxfordshire. Here’s more about the origins and types of meringue.

Whoever created the recipe, early meringues were simply dropped with a spoon. It was the great French chef Antoine Carême (1784-1833), who piped the mixture into fancy shapes with a pastry bag.

LOVE MERINGUE?

Check out the delicious book Meringue.

Meringue can be hard (cookies) or soft (toppings). It can be baked, poached or whipped. It can be combined with ground nuts, chocolate or any number of flavorings. It can be piped into various vessels for chantilly (whipped cream), mousse and/or fresh berries. It can create:

 
Time to start cooking!
  

Crispy “Greek donut holes” and honey are a
special treat. Photo courtesy Stix
Mediterranean Grill | NYC.

Loukoumades are a fried-dough honey pastry popular in the Mediterranean. Deep fried dough is soaked in sugar syrup or honey and cinnamon, and sometimes sprinkled with sesame. A modern analogy is a yeast “donut hole,” but much tastier.

The name (loo-koo-MAH-dess) derives from the Turkish word lokma, meaning mouthful or morsel. In ancient Greece, these deep fried dough balls were served to winners at the Olympics; so they’re a perfect treat for a champion mom.

Loukoumades can be served in one, two or more pieces, loose or on skewers, for dessert. A cup of tea is an excellent companion. For something more elaborately with ice cream and a drizzle of honey.

These crispy fried dessert dumplings are made with yeast; the dough must rise.

 
Use top quality honey: The better the honey, the more delicious the loukoumades.

Ingredients

1. DISSOLVE yeast in water and let set for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. SIFT flour and salt together. Make a hole in flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix gently while continuously adding warm water until a soft, sticky dough is formed. Cover dough with clean, damp dishtowel. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size.

3. MAKE the syrup: Combine the sugar, honey and water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 6 minutes. Remove from high heat; cover to keep warm.

4. HEAT oil in deep fryer. Use a tablespoon to drop batter into hot oil. When batter floats and is golden and puffy, remove to drain on paper towel.

5. POUR syrup over hot loukmades and sprinkle with cinnamon.
 

FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE PASTRY RECIPES.

We love garnishing dishes with fresh herbs: We snip them onto everything from breakfast eggs to soup, salad and sandwiches to main courses and sides. But what if you don’t have any on hand? Reach for the dried herbs and spices.

If you frequent finer restaurants, you may notice that the chef sometimes sprinkles dried herbs or spices as a garnish around the rim of the plate or bowl.

Why? It ads artistry and color as well as flavor; you can dip forkfuls of food into the garnish.

You can use fresh or dried herbs or spices, chopped nuts or seeds. How many of the following do you already have in your pantry?

TAKE YOUR PICK

FOOD 101: GARNISH

To garnish means to provide something ornamental; to adorn or decorate.* With food, it means something that adds flavor or decorative color. One of the classic food garnishes in America: boiled potatoes garnished with chopped parsley.

MORE WAYS TO GARNISH EVERYTHING

See our article, Garnish Glamour, for many ways to garnish both savory and sweet foods.

*In the law, garnish means to attach money due or property belonging to a debtor.