I finally found not just the time, but also the enthusiasm to experiment, and it took me only ten minutes to prepare the mixture for these little sweets. They taste remarkably like Galatine, the classic Italian milk tablets many of us remember from childhood.
As always, you learn by making mistakes. If I had scored the mixture into squares while it was still soft, before it had completely dried, I would have ended up with much neater, more regular sweets.
Another option would be to pipe small, flat meringue buttons using a piping bag. The mixture is essentially a meringue enriched with powdered milk, so this shape works just as well.
Keep these suggestions in mind and choose whichever method you prefer. I will certainly try both next time. I might even make a few bags of these sweets for the school's end-of-year charity fair!
A note about the recipe source: Three years after I first published this recipe, a fellow food blogger contacted me to explain that it was originally hers. I clearly remembered finding it in a photograph in a cookbook, which unfortunately gave no further details about its source. She told me that the cookbook's author had taken the recipe from her blog without giving her credit. I always try to acknowledge the sources of recipes and ideas whenever I can, so here is the original recipe and its rightful source: Trattoria da Martina – Le Galatine homemade.
Homemade Galatine
These little milk sweets are made with just three ingredients: egg whites, icing sugar and powdered milk. They are simple to prepare, although they need a long time in a low oven to dry completely.
Recipe
Yield: approximately 30 sweets
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Resting time: None
Cooking time: Several hours at 60°C, until completely dry
Total time: Preparation plus drying time
Ingredients
2 egg whites
80 g icing sugar
3 tablespoons powdered milk
Method
Put the egg whites and a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk until the mixture becomes white and foamy.
Gradually add the remaining icing sugar and continue whisking until you have a firm meringue.
Add the powdered milk and whisk again until it is thoroughly incorporated.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the mixture over it in an even layer, keeping the thickness as uniform as possible.
If you are making square sweets, score the mixture into squares with a knife halfway through the drying process, while it is still relatively soft.
Alternatively, transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe small, flat rounds onto the baking paper.
Dry in a preheated oven at 60°C until the sweets are completely dry. The time will depend on their size and thickness.
Once completely dry, store in an airtight container, away from moisture.
My tips
For neat square sweets: remember to score the mixture while it is still soft. Once completely dry, it will be much harder to cut cleanly.
For round sweets: use a piping bag to make small, flat meringue buttons.
Storage: keep the sweets in an airtight container and protect them from humidity.
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