This week’s Cook the Book Fridays recipe from David Lebovitz’ My Paris Kitchen was merveilleux – gorgeous meringues sandwiched together with cream, coated in cream and rolled in chocolate. Sounds wonderful, right? I’ve actually been fortunate enough to enjoy merveilleux from Au Merveilleux de Fred several times during trips to Paris and they are, indeed, heavenly!
(of course, I bought the mini ones!!)
Like macarons, these sounded fairly easy to make. I mean, meringue, chantilly cream and chocolate flakes… what could possibly be hard about that?
Well, first of all, my meringues look like they overbaked. To be honest, I thought 275˚F was a little high to bake these – I normally bale meringue at around 200˚F. As you can see, mine went a little tan. Since I knew I was going to be covering them in whipped cream, I didn’t worry too much.
About that whipped cream… Mine never got really thick, despite beating it for around 8 minutes in a stand mixer on high. Hmmm… (there were no indications as to timing for this part of the recipe so maybe I was way off but the cream was stiff-ish when I stopped mixing but perhaps not the buttercream consistency David talks about in the recipe. My bad.).
As SOON as I started filling them, the meringues started to soften and they became VERY difficult to handle. This is totally my fault as they were a little on the larger side of the 5cm diameter called for (I got carried away piping, I guess!). BUT my meringue mix made 24 – the recipe says 20 – so I’m not sure how large they would have been had I only piped 20 and used all the mix…
Messy times in the middle of a very cold snowy day on the front porch (yes this is where I shoot all my photos, even in the winter)
I ended up kind of rolling the meringues in the cream to coat them and quickly rolling them in the chocolate straight afterwards. After I had made 4 I was done with them!
Admittedly, they tidy up nicely when they are placed in pretty patty pans (cupcake liners)…
I gave two of these away and my neighbour said this was “possibly the best thing you have ever given us” (high praise actually since she’s had some pretty amazing things from my kitchen!). I placed the other two in the fridge (they are supposed to be enjoyed cold) and Neil and I ate them the next day. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy them much – you know, when you spend ages making something, you sometimes don’t want to even look at it, let alone eat it – but I did. Alot. Enough to make them again? Maybe. When there’s no book deadline looming and I have time to dedicate to getting them just right!
Get the recipe for David Lebovitz’s merveilleux on p 281 of My Paris Kitchen.
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They look beautiful to me! And with that endorsement, these must happen at my house!
Ha! I’d love to see your version – I bet they would be beautiful!
Your black and white merveilleux look fabulous. I baked mine at 250°F with convection and another batch without. Some of the aquafaba ones collapsed with all the blowing hot air. Maybe, with higher humidity in the summer, 275°F is needed?
I’ve successfully baked meringue in the summer at 200F…. But everyone’s oven is different!
You know I’m a truth-teller, Mardi, and I promise that your merveilleux look as gorgeous as your store bought merveilleux. It’s been too rainy in Cali, meringues don’t like humidity, so I didn’t attempt these this week. Made-up the chocolate-dulce de leche tart recipe for this week. Delicious also. But I am anxious to make this and can only hope I will do as well as you and Ro. Quite impressive, my dear. Thanks for posting photos of the steps. I will remember to do that in my post also.
The choc tart was amazing – and I am sure when you make these they will be equally as pretty!
I like your black and white look too, it makes it more interesting. These were extremely messy,
but the end result was so good.
Definitely – I am kind of glad they are messy because they are so good I want to make them again (well, I just want to eat them actually!) but knowing how messy it was, I won’t until I have a clear head and kitchen!
I cannot wait to make these! I have not had a lot of time but your post is making me super keen on making them! Lovely photos!!!!
I hear you on not having a lot of time 😉
Yum!! These look and sound amazing.
They were but a little bit too much trouble…
Hmmm…at the start of your post I thought I might make these this weekend, because I have a friend with gluten problems coming over for dinner. By the end of the post, I thought, “no way.” I really want someone to make these for me, though! Maybe some day…
They are definitely not a quick and easy dessert, unfortunately!
Love your cheerful cupcake liners! Black and white is a great way to go for this! I only remembered to eat the second piece I made up a couple of days later, nice when well chilled!
Interesting that it got better with time in the fridge!