Suspiros, or Portuguese meringue cookies, are a delightful part of Portuguese cuisine. The Great Discoveries of the XV-XVI centuries brought new ingredients to Portuguese cuisine, including sugar, which revolutionised local sweets.
Ingredients for 3-4 servings:
- 2 egg whites
- 110 gr sugar
- 10 gr vanilla sugar
- 50 gr black chocolate
- 120 gr nuts (almonds and walnuts)
Preparation instructions:
- Prepare the mixture:
- Whip 2 egg whites at room temperature with a pinch of salt in a clean bowl until they become foamy. Ensure no traces of yolk are in the whites, and that the bowl and beaters are clean.
- Gradually add sugar while continuing to whip until a thick and stiff cream forms. Stop whipping when the foam starts forming firm peaks. Avoid over-beating as the foam will become grainy and watery, rendering it unusable for baking.
- Chop chocolate and nuts.
- Add the chopped nuts, chocolate and vanilla sugar to the bowl with the whipped cream.
- Gently stir the mixture with a spoon to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Bake the cookies:
- Place the mixture by tablespoonfuls on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. There should be enough distance between each cookie, as they will expand in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
- After baking, turn off the oven and leave the cookies inside for at least 1 hour. Please, do not open the oven door during this time.
- Enjoy your cookies!
