5 ways with meringue nests

Eton mess ice cream

Take 450g strawberries and whizz 300g in a food processor with 2 tbsp

condensed milk from half a 397g can until smooth. Reserve a couple of whole berries and dice the rest. Whisk the remaining condensed milk, 600ml

double cream and 1 tsp vanilla in a large bowl until thick, then quickly whisk in about 1/ of the strawberry 4

purée. Fold in 2 crumbled meringue nests and the diced berries. Spoon into a freezer container, adding dollops of the remaining purée as you go. Give a couple of quick swirls to ripple the purée through, then top with the whole berries and freeze. Serves 8.

Mascarpone meringue cheesecake

Crush 110g digestive biscuits, mix with 50g melted butter and 25g light brown soft sugar, then press onto the base of a 20cm loose-bottom

cake tin. Chill. Beat 50g mascarpone with 75g caster sugar, the zest of

1 lemon and about 90ml lemon juice. Spread over the base and put in the fridge for 2 hrs to set. Serve topped with 300ml whipped cream swirled with 2 tbsp lemon curd, then crush over 2 meringue nests. Serves 6.

Black forest meringue tumblers

Whip 300ml double cream – you could add a dash of brandy if you like – then fold in 4 roughly broken meringue nests. Spoon a jar of cherry compote (we used Bonne Maman) into four

tumblers, top with the meringue and generously grate over dark chocolate.

Tropical pavlovas

Blitz a tub of prepared ripe mango in a food processor with 2 tbsp icing sugar, then swirl through 300g coconut yogurt. Spoon into 6 meringue nests and top with raspberries or the pulp from 2 passion fruit and a few fresh mint leaves. Makes 6.

Banana custard toffee meringues

Take a carton of custard and spread some generously on four plates, top each plate with a meringue nest, then slice over 2 bananas. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a few chopped pecans and a swirl of toffee sauce. Serves 4.

Eton mess ice cream is good to have on standby in the freezer