Vanille

Vanilla meringues

Meringues that are crisp on the outside and a little soft at the centre, flavoured with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla seeds. The basic recipe, step by step.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cooking 60 min
  • Total 80 min
  • Difficulty Easy

French meringue baked in the oven gives a light shell, crisp on the outside and a little soft at the centre. Flavoured with the seeds of a Bourbon vanilla pod, it is eaten on its own, as part of a coffee-and-treats platter, or crushed over an iced dessert.

Our family grows and prepares this vanilla in the SAVA region, in north-eastern Madagascar. Getting a meringue right comes down mainly to the baking: a low temperature, the oven kept closed for as long as possible, and enough time to dry out.

Method

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 90°C, fan setting.
  2. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife.
  3. Whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt, at medium speed, until they foam.
  4. Add the sugar in three stages, continuing to whisk at full speed between each addition, until you get a firm, glossy, smooth meringue that forms a bird’s beak at the end of the whisk.
  5. Fold in the vanilla seeds with a spatula, gently lifting the mixture so as not to knock the air out of the meringue.
  6. Using a piping bag or two spoons, pipe small mounds of meringue onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, spaced 2 cm apart.
  7. Bake for 1 hour 30 at 90°C: the meringues should dry out without colouring. Then turn off the oven and leave them to cool for 30 minutes inside, with the door slightly open.
  8. Lift the meringues off once completely cold and keep them in an airtight box, away from moisture.
Chef's tip

The little extra that changes everything

A bowl and whisk that are perfectly dry and free of any trace of fat whip up firmer whites. Add the sugar little by little, never all at once, so it dissolves completely and the meringue stays glossy, without grain. Other uses of vanilla in baking are gathered in vanilla in baking and pastries. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar Bourbon vanilla pods

Frequently asked questions

About this recipe

Can the seeds from the pod be replaced with vanilla powder?
Yes, a teaspoon of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla powder replaces the seeds from a pod and mixes directly into the meringue.
Why do meringues go soft after a few days?
The baked meringue absorbs moisture from the air; it keeps better in an airtight box, away from moisture, and stays crisp for several days under these conditions.
Can the meringues be made ahead?
Yes, once completely cooled and kept in an airtight box, they keep for several days without losing their crisp texture.
In the kitchen

Four moves with one bean

What to do with a whole bean, from the first cut to the sugar jar.

01 Split 30 s

Knife tip halfway through, one single pass along the whole length.

02 Scrape 1 min

Scrape both halves with a spoon. That black is the flavour.

03 Infuse 20 min

Seeds and bean into the hot milk, off the heat, covered.

Vanilla beans laid on a white plate
04 Reuse 1 week

Rinse the emptied bean, let it dry, then slip it into the sugar.

One bean serves twice
Exceptional ingredients

Our products for this recipe

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