Paciencia cookies are small and delicate meringue cookies flavoured with vanilla. Spanish in origin, they are now popular at all Filipino holidays, especially Christmas. Usually baked by the dozen when getting ready for Christmas, they can be made weeks before as they keep well in airtight containers. Their name means “patience” in Spanish, because the meringue batter takes ages to whisk until it becomes nice and fluffy.
Makes 40 cookies
plain flour 30g
baking powder 0.5g
egg whites 2
caster sugar 200g
vanilla extract 1g
Preheat oven to 180C fan/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. Sift the flour and baking powder and set aside.
Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When they start to foam, add the sugar little by little and beat until the meringue is glossy with stiff peaks. Fold in the flour and vanilla extract.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a round piping nozzle with the meringue batter. Pipe it into round mounds about 2.5cm in diameter and 2.5cm apart on the parchment-lined baking tray.
Bake until lightly toasted, 12-15 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes and transfer to an airtight jar.
Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya is chef-founder of Apoy Filipino BBQ, London W1
