Name: Merveilleux (French Meringue Dessert Recipe)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 20
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2/3 cup + 2 1/2 tbsp (200 g) egg whites; 2/3 cup + 3 1/2 tbsp (200 g) granulated sugar (see note #1); 1 1/2 cups + 5 tsp (200 g) powdered (icing) sugar; 1 capsule of coffee Ristretto (see note #2); 3 cups + 4 tbsp (750 g) heavy cream, 30% fat; 1/3 cup (75 g) granulated (caster) sugar; 5.3 oz (150 g) Trader Joe's dark chocolate (see notes)

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Quick Summary: A merveilleux is a French meringue dessert made of two crisp meringue shells sandwiched with whipped cream, then coated all over in more whipped cream and chocolate shavings. This merveilleux recipe recreates the famous Aux Merveilleux de Fred pastry at home with just a few ingredients.

French meringue dessert Merveilleux with a fork on a dessert plate.

What is a merveilleux?

A merveilleux (plural: merveilleux, or sometimes merveilleuxes) is a classic meringue pastry that originated in Belgium and the Flanders region of northern France. It is built from two light meringue discs joined with whipped cream, then the whole thing is coated in more whipped cream and rolled in chocolate shavings, so every bite is crisp meringue and soft cream at once.

What does merveilleux mean? In French, the word "merveilleux" simply means "marvelous" or "wonderful," which is how the dessert got its name. It is pronounced "mair-vay-uh" (roughly mer-vuh-yuh).

While the merveilleux is an old Belgian dessert with no single inventor, it was the French chef Frederic Vaucamps who made it famous from 1985 through his Aux Merveilleux de Fred boutiques, adding flavors well beyond the traditional chocolate version. The Belgian master chocolatier Pierre Marcolini is also known for his own refined version of the pastry.

Aux Merveilleux de Fred

The first impression of Aux Merveilleux de Fred visitors tasting Merveilleux, a "delicious fusion of meringue and cream," is that it was to die for. As per the customers, it is a "totally addictive meringue cake. You start, and the only way to stop is when it is all gone."

This meringue dessert typically doesn't survive beyond 10 minutes from the time it was purchased. it is usually eaten inside the pastry shop or a few steps outside of the bakery.

This is a traditional flourless meringue pastry from Belgium and the Flanders region, dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1985, the French confectioner and chocolatier Frederic Vaucamp revived the old classic and, through his Aux Merveilleux de Fred shops, turned it into a modern favorite with a wide range of flavors.

Since 1997 the chef has opened a few sweet boutiques in Paris, also all over France, in London, Brussels, Berlin, Geneva, and New York. Some of his locations have an open floor plan where customers can see each step of making these meringues.

How this merveilleux recipe was developed

There is no doubt that I made a few attempts to find Frederic Vaucamp's original recipe, but it is a well-kept secret to this day.

I was lucky enough to find another version of the recipe, created by the Belgian chocolatier and World Champion Pâtissier (1995), Pierre Marcolini. He describes his Merveilleux as "a very modern cake, the marriage of crispness and mellowness..."

I made some changes to the recipe to make it work in a home kitchen. I increased the amount of ingredients for the whipped cream while omitting 25 ml of cold coffee Ristretto as per Mr. Marcolini.

Actually, I found that adding liquid coffee to the cream makes it harder to assemble the meringues since the cream becomes more liquid.

Moreover, I replaced the chef's recommended Pacari Ecuadorian chocolate Los Rios with Trader Joe's dark chocolate. And you will need many more chocolate chips to wrap the meringues than the original recipe recommends.

Merveilleux cut into bite pieces with a fork and a dried rose on a grey plate

Why you'll love this recipe

Simple ingredients: this easy meringue-based recipe turns a handful of pantry staples into a light, delicious dessert.
Perfect for a crowd: the recipe makes numerous individual pastries, so it is a great birthday party idea.
Endless decorations: roll the meringues in white chocolate chips, pink chocolate curls, or chopped pink praline for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, a baby shower, or a wedding.
Bakery quality at home: you recreate the famous Aux Merveilleux de Fred pastry without a trip to the patisserie.

Equipment

Stand or electric mixer: to whip the meringue and the cream
Pastry bags and plain round tips: to pipe the meringue discs and the cream
Baking sheets and parchment paper: for piping and baking the meringue
Small offset spatula: to coat the pastries evenly with cream
Vegetable peeler or knife: to make the chocolate shavings for coating

How to make Merveilleux

Step 1. Preheat oven to 195°F (90°C). Draw circles 2.5 inches (6 cm) on parchment paper. Turn the paper over so that the circles are facing down.

Step 2. To make the meringue, open a capsule of Ristretto and place ground coffee aside. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat the egg whites (at room temperature) until soft peaks form, then gradually add granulated sugar and whisk until the meringue becomes glossy (photo 1).

Step 3. Once egg whites are set, add powdered (icing) sugar and ground coffee and mix with a rubber spatula (photo 2).

Photo 1: Meringue in a bowl Photo 2: Meringue mixed with icing sugar and ground coffee in a bowl — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Step 4. Place the meringue in a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 806 and pipe small spirals/rosettes onto drawn circles (photo 3). Bake meringues for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues with the door closed for another hour (photo 4).

Photo 3: Meringue spirals on parchment paper Photo 4: Baked meringues on parchment — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

Step 5. To make the sweetened whipped cream, whisk cold heavy cream, gradually adding granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream until stiff (photo 5).

Pro tip: Refer to the French Chantilly cream recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 6. To assemble sandwich meringues, pipe the whipped cream on the meringue rosette. Finish with another meringue on top, placing it upside down (photo 6).

Photo 5: Ready Chantilly cream in a bowl Photo 6: Meringues sandwiched with the cream held in hand — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

Step 7. Garnish the edges (photo 7) and cover the top (photo 8) of sandwiched meringues with the cream. Smooth their sides and top using a bent spatula. Place meringues in the freezer for about 10 minutes before rolling them in chocolate chips.

Photo 7: Meringue with smoothed edges on a marble board Photo 8: Meringues covered with the cream on a wooden board — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

Step 8. To make chocolate chips, scrape a chocolate bar with a large knife, or a vegetable peeler or use a mandoline slicer. Place chocolate chips in a large dish. Roll each meringue sandwich in chocolate chips (photo 9), except the bottom (photo 10). Refrigerate.

Photo 9: Chocolate chips with the meringue in a glass dish Photo 10: Meringues Two Sandwich Meringue Merveilleux on a marble board covered with chocolate chips on a wooden board — **PHOTO 9 PHOTO 10**

Expert Tips

Process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to make superfine sugar. It dissolves quicker and easier while whisking.
Prepare meringue rosettes one day in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make about 12.3 oz. (350 g) of medium-sized chocolate chips to facilitate rolling the meringues.
Serve the dessert right away to keep the crispiness of the meringues since the longer you keep the assembled cakes, the softer the meringues become.

Recipe variations

Once you master the basic merveilleux recipe, try these easy variations:

Coffee flavor: replace 1 capsule of coffee Ristretto with 1 ½ teaspoon (5 g) of your favorite ground coffee.
Different coatings: roll meringues in white chocolate chips, pink chocolate curls, crumbled speculoos, crispy crepes gavottes, chopped Pink Praline, or nuts to play with tastes and flavors.
Fruity twist: hide a raspberry inside each dessert while assembling the meringues for a tangy note.
Cream topping: whisk 1 cup (230 g) of heavy cream with 1 ½ tablespoon (23 g) of granulated sugar to medium peaks, then pipe a swirl on top of each meringue cake using an open star pastry tip.

Storing & freezing

To store: Merveilleux are best eaten the day they are made, while the meringue is still crisp. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, though the meringue will soften over time.

To freeze: You can freeze the assembled merveilleux for up to 1 month. Thaw them in the fridge, and note the meringue texture will be softer after freezing.

Recipe FAQ

What does merveilleux mean?
"Merveilleux" is French for "marvelous" or "wonderful." The dessert was named for how good it tastes, and the plural is also spelled merveilleux (or merveilleuxes).

How do you pronounce merveilleux?
It is pronounced roughly "mair-vay-uh" (mer-vuh-yuh), with a soft ending and no hard "x" sound.

Where did the merveilleux come from?
The merveilleux is an old dessert from northern France and Belgium. It was revived and made popular by French chef Frederic Vaucamps through his Aux Merveilleux de Fred pastry shops.

What is a merveilleux made of?
Two crisp meringue shells are sandwiched with whipped cream, then the whole pastry is coated in more whipped cream and rolled in chocolate shavings.

Can I make merveilleux without a coffee flavor?
Yes. The coffee is optional. Leave it out for a plain vanilla version, or swap in cocoa, praline, or speculoos for different flavors.

Why is my meringue not crisp?
Meringue needs a low oven and a long, slow bake to dry out. Humidity is the enemy, so avoid making it on very damp days and store the baked shells airtight.

How far ahead can I make merveilleux?
Bake the meringue shells up to a few days ahead and store them airtight. Assemble with whipped cream only a few hours before serving to keep them crisp.

Love meringue desserts? Try these next!

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Merveilleux (French Meringue Dessert Recipe)

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5 from 26 reviews

This merveilleux recipe recreates the French meringue dessert of two crisp meringue shells sandwiched with whipped cream, then coated in more whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Author: Irina Totterman
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 20 1x
Category: Cakes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale

For the coffee meringue:

⅔ cup + 2 ½ tablespoon (200 g) egg whites
⅔ cup + 3 ½ tablespoon (200 g) granulated sugar (see note #1)
1 ½ cups + 5 teaspoon (200 g) powdered (icing) sugar
1 capsule of coffee Ristretto (see note #2)

For the sweetened whipped cream:

3 cups + 4 tablespoon (750 g) heavy cream, 30% fat
⅓ cup (75 g) granulated (caster) sugar

For the decoration:

5.3 oz (150 g) Trader Joe's dark chocolate (see notes)

* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 195°F (90°C). Draw circles 2.5 inch/6 cm on parchment paper. Turn the paper over so the drawing faces down.
To make the meringue, open a capsule of Ristretto and place the ground coffee aside. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat the egg whites (at room temperature) until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, whisking until the meringue becomes glossy. Once egg whites are set, add powdered (icing) sugar and ground coffee, and mix with a rubber spatula. Place the meringue in a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 806 and pipe small spirals/rosettes onto drawn circles. Bake meringues for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues with the door closed for another hour.
To make the sweetened whipped cream, whisk cold heavy cream, gradually adding granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream until stiff.
To assemble sandwich meringues, pipe the whipped cream on the meringue rosette. Finish with another meringue on top, placing it upside down (flat side up). Garnish the edges and top the sandwiched meringues with the cream. Smooth their sides and top using a bent spatula. Place the meringues on a board and cover the top of each meringue with the cream. Place meringues in the freezer for about 10 minutes before rolling them in chocolate chips.
To make chocolate chips, scrape a chocolate bar with a large knife or a vegetable peeler, or use a mandoline slicer. Place chocolate chips in a large dish. Roll each sandwiched meringue in chocolate chips, except the bottom. Refrigerate.

Notes

Process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to make superfine sugar. It dissolves more quickly and easily while whisking.
Prepare meringue rosettes one day ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make about 12.3 oz. (350 g) of medium-sized chocolate chips to facilitate rolling the meringues.
Serve the dessert right away to keep the meringues crisp, since the longer you keep the assembled cakes, the softer the meringues become.

Nutrition

Calories: 245
Sugar: 27.5 g
Sodium: 29 mg
Fat: 13.8 g
Saturated Fat: 8.8.g
Carbohydrates: 29.4 g
Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 43 mg

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://www.femmeactuelle.fr. It was originally published in May 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.