Meringues, Double Cream, Berries, and the Most Charming Wine Companions
- Sylvia Fonalka
- Nov 28, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
👩🍳— Jump to recipe, but fair warning: you’ll miss all my brilliantly unnecessary (and deeply entertaining) ranting.
Cooking, I adore. Baking, however… baking is an entirely different universe, one ruled by precision, patience, and the occasional existential crisis. I visit it only when absolutely necessary. My comfort zone is a small arsenal of simple, loyal desserts that never rise too high or ask too much (well… except zserbó, which I’ve somehow perfected and may one day reveal like a family secret).
Yes, I’ve attempted the mythical three-tier cake. I survived. It was gorgeous, it was delicious, and after three days of whisking, layering, and bargaining with the universe, I emerged victorious, vowing never again.
So instead, I now turn—happily, proudly—to one of the most glorious, indulgent, and blissfully easy creations I know: Swiss Meringues with Gruyère Double Cream and Berries.
I just finished writing about the dairy enchantments of Gruyère, this storybook Swiss town in the canton of Fribourg, and this dessert feels like its natural continuation of the story.
This iconic pairing brings together two regional specialties: crisp, airy, billowy meringues and the luxuriously thick, famously smooth and velvety double cream Gruyère-style with about 50% fat, giving the dessert its unmistakable richness. The contrast of crunchy meringue and silky cream creates a balance that’s both indulgent and refined.
Sure, you could say it’s a bit like Pavlova (hi, Aussies) or a distant cousin of Eton Mess (lovely, very British, bless ’em). But let’s be honest: this dessert is so Swiss it practically yodels.
It doesn’t float around pretending to be a pavlova cloud or dress itself up like a messy English trifle. No—this one shows up with Alpine confidence, wearing a metaphorical cowbell and carrying enough double cream to silence any comparison.
And here’s the kicker: the Swiss version has been around for a couple of centuries. Long before anyone was whipping up pavlovas or smashing berries into charming chaos, Switzerland was already perfecting the crisp-shell, soft-center meringue and ladling on cream like it was a national duty.
Because at the end of the day, you’re not eating “cream and meringue.”You’re eating SWISS cream and meringue, and that changes everything.
Often served on its own, the dessert can also be brightened with fresh berries, a drizzle of honey, or a few chocolate shavings.
And the best part? You can summon this masterpiece in mere minutes, even as your guests linger over their last bites of dinner.
Crème de Gruyère (Gruyère Double Cream)
The Swiss don’t skimp when it comes to cream - and honestly, thank goodness they don’t.
So what is it? It’s just gloriously thick, outrageously rich double cream that locals treasure like edible gold.
It forms naturally when the milk for Gruyère AOP cheese is left alone and the cream ascends to the top like it’s the chosen one. All the lovely Fribourg mountain-pasture aromas come along for the ride.
(Okay, so apparently this post is also about cheese — because, well, you can take the girl out of Switzerland, but you can’t take the cheese out of the girl …Wait. That came out wrong, didn’t it?)
Fat content: Swiss double cream legally needs at least 45% fat, but Gruyère Double Cream says, “No no, let me go even harder,” and sits around 50%. Compared to North American creams (usually around 35%), it’s basically the heavyweight champion.
Availability: Crème de Gruyère is a regional diva, amazing, but rarely leaving its home canton.
In Canada: Finding true double cream is a quest worthy of a fantasy novel. A few specialty shops might carry something close, but standard heavy cream is the more common understudy.
If you want to level it up and get closer to true Swiss decadence, here are a few tricks:
• Add butter to whipping cream: Melt a little unsalted butter and whisk it into your 35% cream. This gives it a richer, “I’m pretending to be Swiss” vibe.
• Choose whipping cream without stabilizers: If you’re making clotted cream or any fancy dairy magic, look for 35% whipping cream without added gums or stabilizers. Your results will be smoother, thicker, and less emotionally chaotic.
• Explore Quebec dairy like a treasure hunt: Some Quebec specialty creams and crème fraîche options get surprisingly close to Crème de Gruyère. They won’t yodel for you, but texturally they’re pretty impressive.
Swiss Meringues
I call these Swiss meringues not just because I’m fond of the country, after living there for a decade and tasting all kinds of delicious, not-just-cheese things, but because Meiringen in the canton of Bern, has a claim to fame of its own. The village, near the dramatic Reichenbach Falls (the setting of Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty’s legendary final showdown), also proudly insists it’s the birthplace of the very first meringue.
Of course, meringue’s origins are a historical free-for-all—there’s even a version starring Napoleon for no apparent reason. My favourite, though, is the tale of a certain Gasparini, the Italian chef in Meiringen who supposedly whipped up leftover egg whites and sugar, thought “why not,” and named his creation after the town. Some say this happened in the 1600s, others in 1720; accuracy is… optional.
Since no one can agree, I’m officially pledging allegiance to the Meiringen origin story. I mean, the town does hold the world record for the longest meringue, a very serious and extremely important achievement! And honestly, if you’re even mildly into meringues, Meiringen deserves a spot on your bucket list. It wasn’t on mine, but somehow I ended up there anyway.
Today, Meiringen dishes out its legendary sugar clouds at places like the Frutal Tea Room and pretty much any pastry shop within a five-minute stroll. The official Tourist Center - strategically parked right by the train station so you can’t possibly miss it - will happily supply you with all the vital intel on local attractions, including the town’s gloriously over-the-top connection to Sherlock Holmes. Yes, you can absolutely spend an afternoon eating meringues and following in the footsteps of a fictional detective. Switzerland is magical like that.
So! Go wild and make a batch at home if you’re feeling heroic or be sensible and just grab some from the grocery store. The nest-shaped ones are ideal: sturdy, cute, and structurally prepared for irresponsible amounts of cream.
Swiss Meringues with Gruyère Double Cream and Berries
Serves 4 | Preparation: 20 min | Baking: 1½–2 hours
These crisp, light confections made from whipped egg whites and sugar are very köstlich, délicieux, delizioso, and delizius - proudly meeting Switzerland’s four-language (German, French, Italian, and Romansh) labeling standards!
Ingredients
4 egg whites
1 cup / 200 g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 100°C /210°F.
Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
Gradually add sugar until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Pipe or spoon small meringues onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake 1½–2 hours, until completely dry and crisp. Let cool.
Assemble the dessert with the Gruyère double cream
Place a few meringues on a plate.
Top with a generous spoonful of double cream - 1 cup/ 250 ml for 4 persons.
Add fruit or honey if desired.
Wine pairings - Finally!
Pairing wine with Swiss meringues, Gruyère double cream, and fresh berries is basically a license to be extra. The meringues are sweet enough to make your teeth tingle, the cream is rich enough to make you question all your life choices, and the berries add that little “I tried” moment of freshness. Life is short, so why not pour something decadent alongside it? A glass of bubbly Champagne to cut through the richness, a late-harvest wine to echo the sweetness, to make the whole thing feel like a tiny, glorious celebration. Sugar, cream, berries… wine. Repeat. Happiness guaranteed.
Dessert wines (late-harvest style)
Elementary, my dear Watson!
Sweet and golden, like sunshine on the mountain, these wines match the meringue without overwhelming it. A touch of acidity keeps the richness in check. Think of Sauternes, Late-harvest Rieslings, Ice Wines and... my recommendation: Sweet Tokaji wines (Aszú, Sweet Szamorodni, Fordítás) - Pardon my Hungarian!
Champagne or sparkling wines
Watson: "Champagne, Mrs. Hudson?"
Mrs. Hudson: "Of course, in the circumstances."
The bubbles are refreshing and lively, cutting through the cream with ease, like a brisk Alpine breeze.
Champagne (Brut): A dry Champagne with its lively bubbles and toasted notes can enhance the flavours of the Gruyère and bring a touch of elegance to the pairing.
Prosecco (Sweeter Style) or Asti and ... my (well, technically my husband’s… our family’s Bubble King) recommendation: Crémant d’Alsace/de Loire/du Jura and all other French crémants.
For the record—and because it’s often asked:
Crémant offers Champagne-style bubbles at a much friendlier price. It’s made using the same traditional method and delivers comparable quality, just in a more accessible way.
The distinctions are straightforward: Crémant can be produced in eight different French regions, it requires a shorter minimum lees aging, and it doesn’t carry the legally protected prestige of the Champagne name. 🥂
Happy sipping and savouring!
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