Swiss Meringue Cups

Hello, Happy Spring! Today I have a fun and easy sweet treat. Meringues and pavlovas are one of those desserts that always looks so impressive to me. First, they remind of spring and summer, loaded with fresh fruit; second, they are super rustic-looking, but still manage to look elegant and inviting. I suppose colorful fruit and syrups have a bit to do with this, but the beautiful white clouds of meringue set the stage. I never imagined this dessert could be so dead simple. But it is! So let’s get to it, Swiss Meringue Cups!

I love these Swiss Meringue Cups because you can fill them with whatever you want! I have done berries mostly, but this time I went with honey mango, crushed pineapple and dragonfruit. These three fruits are nestled on a bed of whipped cream in the center of the meringue cup.

Swiss Meringue

To start, let three large egg whites sit in the bowl of your mixer for about 30 minutes. Then, preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Add the cream of tarter and the vanilla to the egg whites and beat on medium speed until foamy soft peaks form.

Then, with the mixer running on medium-high (position 8 on a KitchenAid), add the sugar 1.5 tablespoons at a time. By the time you get to the end of the sugar, the meringue should be glossy and forming stiff peaks. Be careful not to over beat the meringue. Even though you want to want to see the peak form on the end of the beater attachment, you want the meringue to be cloud-like, soft and not too tight, or stiff. Think, marshmallowy.

Spoon 6-8 mounds of meringue onto the parchment-lined sheet tray. Then, use the back of a spoon to create a shallow bowl in the center of each meringue portion, being careful not to swipe through the bottom (or else you’ll have a hole in the bottom of your cup).

Bake the Swiss Meringue Cups for 1 hour in the preheated oven, then turn off the oven but leave the meringues in to cool gradually for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. This gradual cooling will help keep the meringues from forming cracks because of a temperature swing.

When they come out of the oven, the Swiss Meringue Cups should be firm with a crisp exterior. Let them cool completely. Then you can add a dollop of whipped cream in the center and whatever fruit you like.

Swiss Meringue Cups

They make a gorgeous presentation! What’s really cool is that you can fill only a couple at a time if you want, and store the unfilled Swiss Meringue Cups in a zipperlock bag at room temp for a couple days. Another tip, humidity will affect your meringues. If it’s humid in your house, the meringues won’t hold their crispness.

The exteriors of the Swiss Meringue Cups are airy and crisp, while the interiors will have a little more density and chewiness. They taste like marshmallows – they are divinely light! The moisture from the whipped cream and fruit will also contribute to the meringue’s chewy texture in the center. Such a wonderful combination of light, sweet flavors and textures.

Try another super simple dessert, perfect for spring: Buttermilk-Vanilla Panna Cotta. As springtime holiday entertaining nears, easy, beautiful desserts for a group are a great thing to have in your back pocket for your menu planning! I hope you give these Swiss Meringue Cups a try. Take care and be well! xo Kelly

Key Equipment

Print Recipe

Swiss Meringue Cups

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Dessert – American/Swiss

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: Makes 6-8 Meringue Cups

Prep Time: 10 Minutes, active time – Cooking Time: 1 Hour, plus 1 hour cooling – Total Time: 2 Hours, 10 Minutes

With a combination of light, sweet flavors and textures, Swiss Meringue Cups are the perfect spring dessert to top with your favorite fruits.

Ingredients

• 3 Large Egg Whites
• 1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• Whipped Cream
• Berries
• Fruit
• Powdered Sugar

Instructions

1

Place the egg whites in a bowl and let stand for 30 minutes.

2

Preheat oven to 225 degrees and line a large sheet tray with parchment paper.

3

Add the vanilla and cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat on medium speed until foamy, soft peaks form.

4

Gradually add the sugar 1.5 tablespoon at a time and beat on medium-high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.

5

Spoon 6-8 mounds of meringue onto the parchment-lined sheet tray.Use the back of a spoon to spread the mounds into 3-inch cups.

6

Bake for 1 hour at 225 degrees, until the meringues are set and dry.

7

Then turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven to gradually cool down for 1 hour.

8

Transfer meringues to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

9

Fill the center of each meringue cup with a tablespoon or two of whipped cream, place berries on whipped cream and dust tops with powdered sugar.

This post may contain affiliate links; when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission on qualifying items.