X and I were killing time the other night, waiting for the pizza place in Passy to open at 7 for dinner, and we came across Aux Merveilleux de Fred, a little shop on rue de l’Announciation selling meringues. Meringues in four different sizes, from small, individual ones to meringue “cakes” that feed eight.
I’d never seen a meringue shop before. Not here. Not anywhere. I had no idea the demand for meringues was this high. Who knew?
This is the second location in Paris, it turns out — and it’s part of a chain of meringue boutiques (!) that started in Lille 15 years ago. A quick check to Fred’s website told me that they also sell breads and brioche (they have two different ones here, too), but the focus is on the light, airy meringues.
Look at this Krispy Kreme-worthy line on a Saturday night. I feel so silly for not knowing about this French meringue madness.
Now, I happen to appreciate the art of getting whipped egg whites and sugar mixed together to cook at the correct temperature – and for a long enough period of time – to create the perfect meringue, having tested this idea myself last summer. Meringues can be tricky. They don’t like humidity, they take quite some time to bake, and they cannot be rushed.
Here, the meringues are amped up with fluffy, thick Chantilly cream middles, and then rolled in generous flakes of white chocolate, or dark chocolate, or - get ready for this, kids – crushed Speculoos. How can you possibly go wrong with that?
I wanted to try the Speculoos meringue, but X, naturally, had his eyes on the chocolate, so I took that one instead. Figured I couldn’t go wrong either way. Plus, it seemed like a pretty good deal for 2.80. This little meringue was about the size of an American softball.
Which I — whoops, I meant we – devoured in no time at all.
Meringues on their own are lovely – crispy, crunchy outsides with big holey middles — but these, with a generous puff of thick, sweetened cream, are something else. Worth standing in line for, for sure.
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
29 rue de l’Announciation
75016
01 45 20 13 82
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
It looks enormous!! And positively wonderful
Le sigh. Meringues a little pieces of heaven.
MMMMMmmmm…..if it was not almost midnight or I would grab my purse and head to the 16th now.
Care to share the name of your pizza place in Passy?
We live “right around the corner” from rue de l’Announciation and stumbled upon this shop and their Meringue masterpieces…has not been helpful to my waistline but they sure are good!
MMMMMmmmm….now I know where I am going this weekend !
Wow, beautiful. I don’t know a place in the States that specializes in meringue. Lucky you
Swiss Pastry House in Fort Worth has a lovely meringue cake; they call it Black Forest Cake. It is to die for! The only place I know that carries such a wonderfully delishous and probably sinful delight!
I was at their location at rue St.Charles in May and I had never seen anything like this I was curious and bought a coffee flavor one.To die for! Needless to say I went back and got another before I left Paris. When I got home I was trying to tell my family about this wonderful desert but didn’t know what it was. I searched on line and finally figured it out. I want to see if I can make one.
There’s a coffee one?!! I love them, too…and plan to make them at some point, too. Will definitely post the recipe!
WHEN I WAS IN PARIS LAST YEAR I FOUND THIS PLACE ON THE RUE ST CHARLES AND FELL IN LOVE. I AM HOPING THAT SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE ME ONE OF THE MERINGUES FOR MY BIRTHDAY. I ALSO HAD THE COFFEE ONE, LATER I WENT BACK AND GOT ANOTHER. I BET YOU CAN’T EAT JUST ONE. YUM!!!