GREEK MESS WITH ORANGE BLOSSOM MERINGUE

INGREDIENTS Serves 4

Meringue:

3 egg whites 120g caster superfine sugar 1 teaspoon orange blossom water

Raspberry coulis:

250g fresh raspberries 1 tablespoon caster/ granulated sugar a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

To finish:

150g fresh blackberries 500g Greek yogurt

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F) Gas 1/2. The meringue recipe will make more than double what you need, but they store well.

2. Start by whisking the egg whites until you have soft, white peaks. A little at a time, add the sugar into the egg whites, beating continuously. I highly recommend an electric hand whisk for this, and that is based on personal experience.

3. Continue whisking until all the sugar is fully incorporated, then whisk in the orange blossom water.

4. Dollop about 24 heaped dessertspoons of meringue onto lined baking sheet(s) leaving plenty of space between them. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour, then turn off the heat and leave them to cool inside the oven. (Or take them out and let them cool on a wire rack if you want them a little chewy, but they work best crisp for this recipe.)

5. For the coulis, blend the raspberries with the sugar and lemon juice, then pass through a sieve/strainer to remove the seeds. Set aside.

6. To finish, cut all the blackberries in half, saving four whole ones to decorate. Fold the halved blackberries into the yogurt. Break up some meringues and layer each tumbler with their share of the pieces, followed by the coulis and yogurt. Keep layering, in no particular order, before reaching the top of the tumbler.

7. Finish with one whole blackberry, a final drizzle of the raspberry coulis and a sprinkle of finely crushed meringue. Serve quite quickly otherwise the meringue will start to dissolve.