Meringhe

Crisp, light meringue cookies (spumini, in Emilia-Romagna) are made with Swiss meringue, piped into the desired shape and baked slowly at a very low temperature until the meringue dries. These cookies would normally be made as a way to use up the egg whites left over when yolks are needed for some other preparation. They are especially popular in Piemonte, where they are used as “sandwiches” and filled with whipped or flavored creams.