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The baiser is a Belgian pastry originally from Malmedy in Wallonia (Belgium). Variations exist in Ciney, Dinant, Marche-en-Famenne, Mons, Namur, Gembloux, Neufchâteau and Rochefort.

Introduction
Each baiser is formed of two pieces of meringue pastry stuck together with buttercream, whipped cream or ice cream.

History
The baiser seems to have been invented in the middle of the 19th century by Rodolphe Wiertz, a pastry cook from Hellenthal working at the International Hotel of Spa, who later took over the pastry bakery of his father-in-law, Oswald Villers, in Malmedy. It is said to have been first marketed under the name of blankès meringues ("white meringue"). However, in the 1930's, it was changed to the word "baiser" by analogy: the way the two pieces of meringue are joined resembles two pairs of lips exchanging a kiss.

Recipe

 * For the meringues:
 * Whisk the egg whites with a bit of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
 * Mix the powdered sugar, powdered almonds and flour.
 * Fold the mixture into the stiff egg whites.
 * Pipe small heaps of dough with a pastry bag and sprinkle the almonds on top.
 * Bake in the oven at 160°C for 40 minutes.
 * For the buttercream:
 * At 120°C, pour a bit of water into a saucepan and mix it with sugar to obtain syrup.
 * In a bowl, whisk eggs and incorporate the syrup while whipping the mixture.
 * Whip until cool.
 * Whisk softened butter, add some drops of vanilla extract, and add the cooled mixture.
 * Glue one piece of meringue to another using a pastry bag filled with the buttercream.

Versions
After the appearance of the pastry in Malmedy, many Walloon cities created their own variations on the original baiser.

Hence, in Marche-en-Famenne, macarons are used instead of meringues and in Namur and Gembloux a different a dome-shaped pastry called a "coque farineuse" is used.

Also, ice cream or whipped cream can substitute the traditional buttercream to stick the meringues together.