Italian Meringue Cookies (Easy Spumini Recipe)

Make the most deliciously simple Italian Meringue Cookies with just 3 basic ingredients.  These Spumini Cookies are perfectly crispy, have a long shelf life and are a lovely addition to so many other bakes.  Follow my simple instructions and you'll be creating the perfect meringues every time.

So you all know that meringue is one of my favourite desserts.  I was practically brought up on the stuff!  So when I travel, I can never walk past a shop selling meringues -I just have to buy one!  On my recent trip to Italy, I came across this gorgeous pasticcere in Trastevere, who made the most amazing Spumini.  So simple, but such a wonderful treat!  And now I'm sharing it with you…. While these are typical Italian Meringues, the recipe actually uses a French meringue, which is the easiest type of meringue to make.   An Italian meringue recipe uses a hot sugar syrup that's added to egg whites, needing a food thermometer.  A French meringue is a basic meringue that is much more user friendly!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Just 3 simple ingredients.
• Anyone can make them, following my basic instructions
• My tried and true 5 star recipe will always yield the best meringues
• You can make them as crisp or as soft-centred as you like, by simply adjusting the bake time
• Baked meringues can be a delicious addition to so many desserts

Ingredients

• Egg Whites:  from fresh, room temperature eggs
• Cream of Tartar:  helps make a stable meringue
• Caster Sugar:  for sweetness and structure

Substitutions and Additions

• Egg Whites:  I haven't tried it myself, but I've been told you can make these meringues vegan, by replacing the egg whites with aquafaba
• Cream of tartar:  can be replaced with the same amount of white vinegar or lemon juice
• Caster Sugar:  is super fine sugar.  You can replace it with granulated sugar, but it will take some extra whipping time to get the meringue smooth and glossy
• Coloured Meringues:  once your sugar has all been added, you can use a water based food colour to create coloured meringues

Step by Step Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 100 celsius (conventional setting, not fan-forced) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
2. In the mixer bowl of a stand mixer, place the egg whites and cream of tartar.  
3. Using a hand mixer on low to medium speed, whisk the egg whites until foamy and beginning to form soft peaks.
4. Place your mixing bowl onto your stand mixer and using a whisk attachment, whisk on low to medium, while slowly adding the caster sugar to the whipped whites, 1 tablespoon at a time (leave 30 seconds between each spoonful)
5. Once all of the sugar has been added, stop the mixer and scrape the side of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
6. Now mix the meringue on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until it forms stiff peaks and is nice and glossy.  Check that there are no large granules left, by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and finger.  You want a glossy, marshmallowy meringue here.
7. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, then pipe out your meringue cookies.  I pipe enough mixture to make a round mound, then pull the piping bag down and flick it back over the cookie, to create a slightly oval shape
8. Bake in the oven for 2.5 hours (for crispy, hard meringues) or 1.5 hours for a softer centre.
9. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool, with the oven door slightly ajar

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure you are whisking your egg whites in a clean bowl.  Any trace of oil will prevent the whites from whipping, so give the bowl a quick wipe out before you start.
• Don't over whip your egg whites, as it will dry them out.  You just want soft peaks before adding the sugar
• Adding the caster sugar one spoonful at a time means your sugar dissolves into the egg whites, creating a gorgeous glossy meringue
• Mix only on low-medium and medium speed.  You don't want too many air bubbles whipped into the meringue, or it can collapse
• Avoid opening the oven door while the meringue is cooking, as it can lead to cracks in the meringue
• Baking without the fan will give you lovely white meringues
• You can adjust the bake time according to the size of your meringues.  If you want smaller meringues, they will crisp up much faster

Serving Suggestions

• On their own:  they're such a great sweet treat!
• Dip them in chocolate:  either dip half of the meringue in chocolate, or just the bottoms.  
• Eaton Mess:  it's really just a deconstructed Pavlova!  Break up the meringues and layer them with Chantilly cream and macerated strawberries, for a simple but delicious dessert.
• Meringue Ice Cream:  stir it through your favourite ice cream -my absolute favourite combination is meringues in my No Churn Nutella Ice Cream.  The best!!
• Rocky Road:  use it as your crunchy component in Rocky Road (great for people who don't like nuts) and perfect in my Christmas Rocky Road

Storage

 To keep your meringues crisp, you need to store them where they can't absorb any moisture.  Here's my suggestion:

• Room temperature: in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks
• Heat sealed:  if giving your meringues as gifts, you can also place them in food safe bags (used for sugar cookies) and seal them using a heat sealer -they should last 4-5 weeks

If you try this recipe, I'd love it if you could  take a minute to leave a rating or review -it helps to get my recipes seen and for me to keep sharing them with you