Milk meringue and yogurt mousse

“As a kid, I was always a huge fan of the milk bottle sweets you would get as part of a pick-nmix selection,” says River Cafe pastry chef Anna Higham. “This recipe is a definite nod to those milky treats.”

To accompany the milk meringue, you

(SERVES 6) Ingredients For the yoghurt mousse:

• 110ml whole milk

• 40g caster (superfine) sugar

• 15g (2tbsp) cornflour

• 500g thick plain yoghurt

• 250ml double cream

For the milk meringue: (makes 15)

• 200g egg whites, from 6-7 eggs

• Pinch of salt

• 400g caster sugar

• 50g (6tbsp) milk powder

To serve:

• 250g tayberries

• 4-5 perfect tayberries, to serve

METHOD

1. To make the meringue, preheat the can buy tayberries, but the dish works with any berry – raspberries, or you could try gooseberries or rhubarb, too.

“The meringue can be tooth-achingly sweet but is balanced by the acidity of the yoghurt mousse alongside the wildtasting berries,” Higham adds.

oven to 120C/100C Fan/248F/Gas Mark ½ with as low a fan as possible. Combine the egg whites and salt and whisk at medium-slow speed to build a strong, stable meringue. Once the whites hold soft peaks, add the sugar one third at a time, whisking well between each addition.

2. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, gently fold in the milk powder.

3. Line a baking sheet and either pipe the meringue into 6-7cm domes or use two spoons to scoop quenelles on to the lined trays.

4. Bake for two to two-and-a-half hours. Leave to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar then store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

5. To make the yoghurt mousse, whisk together the milk, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan. Place over a medium heat and continue whisking until the mixture comes to the boil and has thickened. Pour into a shallow container and chill in the fridge.

6. Combine the milk mixture with the yoghurt, and add 100g of berries in a food processor and blend until smooth. Whip the double cream until it holds medium peaks and gently fold through the thickened yoghurt. Leave to set in the fridge.

7. To serve, take three tablespoons of yoghurt mousse and add the remaining berries along with the whipped double cream, folding through so that you get larger pieces of slightly crushed berries.

8. Use a sharp knife to cut the top of the meringue and divide it into three rough pieces. Place the base of the meringue in a shallow bowl or plate and spoon the tayberry and yoghurt mousse on top. Scatter the tayberries over the mousse then cover some of the mousse with the top of the meringue.