Krembo
Krembo is a distinctive Israeli winter dessert, made of a biscuit base, a mound of sweet egg-white foam and a thin chocolate crust, which appeared on the Israeli market in the mid-20th century as a climate-adapted version of similar European foam-and-chocolate desserts. Its production is closely tied to the cold season — Krembo is sold almost exclusively in autumn and winter, since warm temperatures would quickly melt the chocolate layer and collapse the fragile foam structure. The arrival of Krembo on store shelves is considered an unofficial cultural marker of the changing season in Israel, much like the appearance of certain seasonal products signals a change in weather in other cultures. Although many commercial brands are available, the debate over which variant has the best ratio of foam to chocolate remains a popular topic of conversation, and the dessert holds a special nostalgic place in childhood memories for many generations of Israelis.
Biscuit base
A small shortbread disc at the bottom
Fluffy marshmallow
A mound of whipped egg-white foam, sweet and light
Chocolate shell
Fully coated in a thin layer of chocolate
Served cold
Kept refrigerated for the ideal texture
Ingredients 4 servings
- 12 small round shortbread biscuits
- 4 large egg whites
- 150 g sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 50 g cocoa butter or vegetable oil
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
How to make it
- 1Place the small biscuits on a tray lined with baking paper, spaced apart, and set aside.
- 2Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and boil over medium heat until it forms a syrup, reaching 118°C on a kitchen thermometer.
- 3Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl, using a mixer, until firm foam forms.
- 4Pour the hot syrup in a thin stream over the egg whites while the mixer keeps whipping, then add the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
- 5Beat the mixture for another 5-7 minutes, until firm, glossy and completely cool to the touch.
- 6Put the foam into a piping bag with a round nozzle and pipe tall mounds over each biscuit, like domes.
- 7Let the foam set in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- 8Melt the chocolate with the cocoa butter over a bain-marie, then dip each krembo into the melted chocolate, coating it fully and letting the excess drip off.
- 9Place on baking paper and refrigerate until the chocolate is fully set.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
