Night Before Christmas Meringue Mess

MERINGUES

BERRIES & CREAM

Pictured right

Chewy on the inside and perfectly crisp and white on the outside is exactly how a proper meringue should be. Lightly broken and combined with strawberries and cream, this play on Eton Mess makes a very dreamy dessert.

4 egg whites, at room temperature ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar 250g caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

500g strawberries 2 tablespoons icing sugar 300ml cream, lightly whipped

Heat oven to 140°C. Line 2 oven trays with non-stick baking paper.

In a scrupulously clean bowl and using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar together until soft peaks form. While continuously whisking, add 1 tablespoon of the sugar at a time until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is very thick and glossy. Beat in vanilla.

Using a large metal spoon, place large mounds of mixture on prepared oven trays, leaving space for the meringues to expand when cooked.

Place in the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 100°C. Bake for 90 minutes, until firm and dry. Turn oven off and leave meringues in the oven to cool completely. This could ideally be done overnight. Meringues can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

To make the sauce, blend half the strawberries with the icing sugar until smooth. Halve the remaining berries.

To serve, scatter meringues over a large platter or tray. Top with dollops of whipped cream, berries and sauce. Serve extra sauce on the side. Serves 8