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Pink guava meringue espumillas piled in a paper cone, dusted with cinnamon sugar on a rustic wooden table

Ecuadorian Espumillas: Fluffy Guava Meringue Treats

Whipped egg white meringue swirled with guava paste, piped into peaks, and baked low and slow until the shell sets and the center stays soft.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Latin American
Calories: 225
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meringue
  • 4 egg whites large (about 120 g); room temperature
  • 200 g granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 pinch fine salt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
Guava Swirl
  • 150 g guava paste (pasta de guayaba) cubed
  • 1 tbsp water
Finishing
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar for dusting
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon for dusting

Method
 

Whip the Meringue
  1. Heat the oven to 120 C / 250 F and line a sheet pan (33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch) with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the lemon juice, then increase to high speed and add the granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat for 6 to 8 minutes until the meringue is stiff, glossy, and holds a firm peak when you lift the beaters.
Fold in Guava and Pipe
  1. In a 1-quart / 1 L saucepan, warm the guava paste with the water over low heat, stirring, until it loosens into a thick, spoonable paste, about 2 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
  2. Drizzle the warm guava paste over the meringue in 3 additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula each time. Stop as soon as you see pink streaks, overmixing will deflate the meringue.
  3. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe tall peaks about 5 cm / 2 inches wide onto the parchment, spacing them 4 cm / 1.5 inches apart.
Bake and Finish
  1. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the outside feels dry and set and the peaks hold their shape, with only a faint cream color, not deep golden.
  2. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and leave the espumillas inside for 10 minutes so they finish drying without collapsing.
  3. Transfer to a wire rack and dust with the cinnamon sugar while still warm. Let cool completely before serving or storing.

Notes

  • Room temperature egg whites whip up faster and taller than cold ones.
  • Fold guava paste in only 3 additions to keep the meringue from deflating.
  • Bake low at 120 C / 250 F, higher heat browns the shell before the center sets.
  • Cool completely on a rack before stacking, warm meringues stick together.