Raspberry Meringues

French chef François Massialot, father of the crème brûlée, published the first meringue recipe in Nouveau cuisinier royal et bourgeois, his multivolume cookbook that began appearing in 1691. Large, featherlight meringue shells, usually filled with raspberries and topped with cream, are a favorite sweet course on the Downton dining table. Piping meringue into small nests yields an ideal adaptation for afternoon tea.