Baked Meringues

To refer to baked meringues as pastries may seem odd, as the term pastry usually refers to desserts made from flour goods such as puff pastry, short dough, or éclair paste. However, meringue that is bagged out into shapes and baked until crisp is used in many of the same ways as flour pastry. It can be filled or iced with many kinds of creams, icings, and fruits to make an interesting variety of attractive desserts.

Basic meringue mixtures are discussed, along with other creams and toppings. Common meringue and Swiss meringue are the types generally used to make crisp, baked shells. The basic procedure for baking meringue is presented in this section, followed by instructions for individual desserts. Also, a special meringue mixture containing nuts is introduced. This flavorful mixture is usually made into round, crisp layers that are used somewhat like cake layers. They may be filled and iced with buttercream, chocolate mousse, whipped cream, or similar light icings and creams.