A recent article in New York Times made me jump up and rush to New York city.

Yeah! you guessed it … the article was about food! It talked about a recently spotted sweet treat at some select french bakeries in the city. Apparently this little “snow-ball” of a dessert is quite popular in France & Belgium. They say it is quite possibly the next fad after Ladurée Macarons and the Cronut by Dominique Ansel. Please welcome, the Merveilleux!

Now, I am a HUGE Ladurée macaron and Dominique Ansel Cronut fan! I have had many… and my love for them persists. So, naturally I was quite curious on how I am going to feel about this newcomer. And an immediate tasting was the next order of business.

I decided to choose between O Merveilleux (Belgian bakery - uptown) or Aux Merveilleux (french bakery - downtown) for my first bite of the Merveilleux. Since a walk in central park and a visit to the Met were calling my name - uptown it was!

Quite simply the Merveilleux is a thin meringue cookie topped with a dollop of whipped cream and then rolled in some kind of topping like chocolate shavings or nuts etc. There is really not much to it! I am sure the art lies in making the perfect meringue cookie which can maintain a nice texture and slight crunch even when topped with whipped cream and kept for a few hours until eaten. The nature of meringue cookie as well as whipped cream come together to form a very delicate dainty treat. The coating of chocolate shavings etc added a very gentle flavor and textural contrast…. they don’t overpower the delicacy of what lies beneath.

The Merveilleux at O Merveilleux is offered in two different sizes. The large version is more of a meringue cookie sandwich with cream in between as well as on top, while the small version is almost bite-sized with just one cookie topped with cream. I tried the small version…

I know I keep using the word “delicate”…. because it really was. So much so that if you were just a touch heavy-handed with this treat, it will fall apart in your hands. I suggest plenty of napkins at hand… and enjoy!

I like this sweet treat. I admire its simplicity and its genius. I can totally see why folks in Belgium and France love to snack on it. It is so airy and light - like a snow-ball - that you almost feel you can eat it without any guilt. But I don’t think I will ever crave it like I crave the Cronut or the Ladurée Macaron.

Taste it and tell me what you think.