Meringues in the Microwave

Two ingredients, no oven, and you have meringues in minutes. This microwave method skips the hour-long bake that traditional meringues demand and gives you puffy, crisp little cookies in batches of eight, each batch taking just 90 seconds.

The mixture isn’t a typical whipped meringue. You beat the egg white briefly and then stir in sifted powdered sugar until you get a very stiff paste, more like fondant than fluffy peaks. That stiff consistency is non-negotiable. If the paste is too loose, the meringues will spread flat and won’t puff properly in the microwave.

Roll the paste into small balls (about walnut-sized), arrange eight at a time in a circle on non-stick paper, and microwave. They’ll rise up dramatically as they cook. Keep your eye on them the entire time because they can go from white to brown in seconds if your microwave runs hot.

Let them cool on the paper before moving them. They’re fragile while warm but firm up as they set.

Pro Tips

• Sift the powdered sugar before mixing; lumps in the paste mean lumpy meringues
• Cook only 8 at a time in a circle for even microwave heating; crowding them causes uneven puffing
• Every microwave is different, so watch the first batch closely and adjust time as needed
• Store in an airtight tin and they’ll keep for weeks

Variations

• Add a drop of food coloring to the paste for pastel party meringues
• Fold in a teaspoon of cocoa powder for chocolate meringues
• Sandwich two cooled meringues together with whipped cream and fresh berries