Meringue

Meringue's origins remain deliciously debated among food historians. The earliest documented English recipes appear in Elinor Fettiplace's handwritten cookbook of 1604, describing a confection called "white biskit bread" made from whipped egg whites and sugar. The French term "meringue" first appeared in print in François Massialot's cookbook of 1692, though Italian pastry chef Gasparini is credited by some with creating it in 18th-century Switzerland to win a princess. French chef Marie Antoine Carême revolutionized its presentation in the early 1800s by introducing the pastry bag, transforming rough dollops into elegant piped peaks. The confection quickly conquered European courts, with Marie Antoinette reportedly preparing it with her own hands. Today, this airy confection inspires perfumers to bottle its comforting sweetness.