Suspiros (Meringues)
Suspiros are oven-dried meringues: light as a sigh, crisp outside and melting in the mouth. They take only egg whites and sugar, but they reward technique — whites at room temperature, fully dissolved sugar, and a low oven that dries rather than browns them. The traditional method warms the whites with the sugar over a bain-marie before whipping, for a firm, glossy meringue.
- Yields
- ≈ 30 small meringues
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 30 min (+ cooling in the oven)
Ingredients
- 4 (≈ 120 g) Egg whites (at room temperature)
- 240 g Caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp Lemon juice or vinegar (optional)
- 1 pinch Salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 100 °C (212 °F) and line two trays with baking paper. Make sure the bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean and grease-free — any trace will stop the whites from rising.
Put the whites, sugar, pinch of salt and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bain-marie), making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl.
Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture reaches about 57 °C (135 °F) — rub a little between your fingers: you should feel no grains.
Remove from the heat and whip on high speed with an electric mixer for 8 to 10 minutes, until you have a firm, smooth, glossy meringue with stiff, upright peaks (the bowl should feel cool to the touch).
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle (or use two spoons) and pipe walnut-sized mounds onto the trays, leaving a little space between them.
Bake at 100 °C (212 °F) for about 1 hr 30 min, without opening the door. They are ready when they lift cleanly off the paper and sound hollow underneath.
Turn off the oven and let the suspiros cool inside with the door closed (ideally a few hours or overnight). This dries them through without cracking.