Quick Tip: How To Keep Meringue Crispy

updated May 3, 2019
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

In our humble (as always) opinion, crunching down on a sweet airy meringue is one of life’s great pleasures. Since just

a few egg whites

The only trick is keeping the meringue crispy beyond that first day…

Made primarily of sugar and egg whites, meringues are hydroscopic. This means that they absorb moisture from the air and will start to soften and ‘weep’ after just a few hours on the counter.

As soon as your meringues have cooled completely and you’ve satisfied your initial sweet-tooth cravings, pack the meringues into an air-tight container.

If you’re using meringues as decoration or decorating the meringues themselves (like with these Pomegranate Spice Meringues), wait to do so until just before serving. Even then only decorate as many cookies as you’ll be eating.

Baking meringue during the summer is particularly challenging. When it’s rainy or humid outside, make sure your meringues are completely dry before taking them out of the oven, pack up any cookies not being eaten right away, and store them in the coolest part of your kitchen.

(Image: Faith Hopler for The Kitchn)