marenkikuorrutus

Marenkikuorrutus, literally “meringue glaze” in Finnish, is a glaze or topping made from whipped egg whites and sugar. It can constitute a light, glossy shell on cakes and pastries, or be used as a decorative crown for tarts and pavlova-style desserts. The traditional base ingredients are egg whites and granulated sugar, with optional stabilizers such as cream of tartar or a little lemon juice. Vanilla or almond extract may be added for aroma.

There are several meringue preparations. French meringue is made by whisking sugar gradually into room-temperature egg whites until stiff, glossy peaks form. Swiss meringue warms the whites with sugar over a water bath before whipping to stiff peaks. Italian meringue whips hot sugar syrup into beaten whites for extra stability.

To use as a glaze or topping, spread or pipe a thin layer over a cooled cake or pastry. It can be finished by baking at a low temperature to dry and set, typically around 90–120 C for 15–60 minutes, or briefly broiled or torched to brown the surface. Some recipes omit baking and rely on a crisp meringue when dried.

Safety and substitutions: use pasteurized eggs when serving for susceptible groups, and consider aquafaba as a vegan substitute. Meringue toppings are best consumed soon after preparation; humid storage can cause weeping or loss of crispness.

In Finnish cooking, marenkikuorrutus is a common technique for decorating and finishing desserts, and is found on cakes, tarts, and pavlova-inspired treats.