Every province on the island claims its own version of this ethereal sweet to be the one-and-only true sospirus. The Olienese hand seems the most gentle with them, though. The very old woman from whom I learned to make them shook her small, kerchiefed head throughout the ceremony, moaning, keening, really, that the confections could only be made from the eggs of Sardinian chickens. Her theory, perhaps valid, was that Sard hens feed on myrtle berries and whey from cheesemaking and that these nourishments render the substance of their eggs less viscous and thus better suited to the construction of delicate pastries. All I know for certain is that I can bake gorgeous sospirus with the eggs of Tuscan hens who eat worms and bugs and corn.

　　

Ingredients

makes 30 meringues

　　2 cups blanched almonds, toasted

　　6 sugar cubes, each moistened with 1/2 teaspoon grappa or vodka

　　Zest of 2 lemons

　　Whites of 8 large eggs

　　Generous pinch of fine sea salt

　　1 2/3 cups sugar

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

　　

Step 2

With a mezzaluna or a very sharp knife, chop the almonds, sugar cubes, and lemon zest together to a fine mince.

　　

Step 3

In a large bowl, beat—with a whisk or an electric beater—the egg whites with the salt to a foam. Sprinkle on the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly, until the whites hold shiny, stiff peaks.

　　

Step 4

Gently, swiftly fold into the egg whites the mince of almonds, lemon, and sugar, amalgamating the components well.

　　

Step 5

On parchment-lined sheets, form the meringues by dropping 3 tablespoons of the mixture into conical, peaked shapes. Leave at least 2 inches of space between them.

　　

Step 6

Dry the sospiri in the oven for 1 hour. Remove them to cool thoroughly before storing them in tins.

　　A Taste of Southern Italy