Strawberry & pistachio mini pavlovas

Makes 8

Ready in 2 hrs, plus cooling

3 egg whites

Pinch of sea salt

170g caster sugar

1tsp cornflour

1tsp white wine vinegar

½tsp vanilla extract

60g shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Pink food colouring

300g crème fraiche, clotted cream or lightly whipped double cream

450g strawberries, 8 hulled and sliced, the remainder halved or left whole

Freeze-dried strawberry powder, to serve (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 120°C/gas ½. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

2 Whisk the egg whites and salt together in a bowl until stiff. Gradually add the caster sugar, 1tbsp at a time, whisking very well between each addition and ensuring it is fully incorporated before adding more. The mixture should be thick and shiny once all the sugar has been added. Whisk in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract. Set aside 2tbsp of the pistachios, then gently fold the remainder into the meringue with a large metal spoon.

3 Secure the baking paper to the baking sheet with a tiny blob of meringue under each corner. Spoon on the meringue in 8 well-spaced blobs, then form into round shapes with a slight dip in the middle using the back of a spoon. They don’t need to be perfect.

4 Using a skewer, flick 2-3 tiny droplets of food colouring onto each meringue and swirl to form a marbled effect. Scatter half the reserved pistachios over the top edges and sides of each one.

5 Bake for 1 hr for a slightly gooey, chewy middle, or for 1¼-1½ hrs for dry, crunchy middles. The meringues should lift off the paper easily and cleanly. If not, cook for a little longer. Leave to cool completely on the baking sheet.

6 Arrange the meringues on a large platter or individual plates and top each with a spoonful of crème fraiche or clotted or whipped cream. Arrange a sliced strawberry on top of each one, then scatter the remaining whole or halved strawberries on the platter/ plates, along with the last of the pistachios. Sprinkle with the freeze- dried strawberry powder, if using.