A meringue is an airy mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and caster sugar. Said to have been invented by a Swiss chef, the meringue was a favorite of the famously sweet-toothed Marie Antoinette, who introduced it to the French.

Some meringue, like that which is piped on top of a lemon meringue pie, is uncooked (or just browned), while other meringues are baked in a slow oven, at which point they crisp and can be eaten like cookies. Meringue can can be made plain or flavored with vanilla extract or ground almonds or hazelnuts.

Recipe: Meringue Cookies (Cookthink)
Recipe: Lemon Meringue Pie (Washington Post)