Aux Merveilleux de Fred
The Incroyable – Meringue, speculoos biscuit, whipped cream coated with shaved white chocolate
The Impensable – Meringue, coffee whipped cream coated with crystallized coffee meringue
The Merveilleux – Meringue, chocolate whipped cream coated with shavings of dark chocolate
The Magnifique – Meringue, praline whipped cream coated with almond chips and caramelized hazelnuts
The Sans-Culotte – Meringue, caramel whipped cream coated with crystallized meringue
The Excentrique – Meringue, cherry whipped cream coated with crystallized cherry meringue
Off to a late start on Saturday, though still earlier than many places in Brussels business district open on weekends, it was through an unlocked door that entry was made to Aux Merveilleux de Fred, and although the two young women at the counter at first seemed shocked by my presence their confusion soon turned to smiles with the eventual agreement that they would sell some meringues 45 minutes prior to opening provided I “kept it a secret” and paid in cash since the credit card system had not yet been turned on.
Walking away chuckling, the whole scene quite bizarre, a bit of background on Aux Merveilleux de Fred shows the house to have grown from the work of a young man based out of Hazebrouck in 1982 and now with several stores ranging from Europe to New York City the phrase “meringue” really does a disservice to the levity of Frederic Vaucamp’s creations, a box of six costing €9 with a total weight of perhaps 180g all inclusive.
Truly a work of art, time and patience, any who have made meringue aware of how quickly soft peaks can turn stiff, Aux Merveilleux de Fred offers several flavors including classics and seasonal options, the eponymous creation turning Dark Chocolate into a ‘sense’ more than a simple flavor while the “Incroyable” takes Belgium’s signature cookie direct to the palate almost bypassing the teeth or tongue, a perfect sort of smoothness similarly noted whether featuring the flavor of Fruit, Coffee, Caramel or Nuts.
www.auxmerveilleux.com/