Uses

Meringue is a key ingredient in the pastry kitchen. Baked layers of meringue are used in cakes and pastries, such as the famous marjolaine. Meringue is piped into ornate shapes for vacherin and dacquoise; it is made into cookies, added to buttercream, and used to top desserts such as baked Alaska and lemon meringue pie. In Europe today, many pastry shops do not make their own meringue, but to save time and money they buy it from companies that specialize in baked meringue products. This makes sense, as meringue formulas are basically generic, and it is what you create with them that makes the difference.