By Emma Hatcher
A classic for a reason: crisp and chewy meringue, soft, silky cream and sweet, juicy berries. Heaven. I’ve swapped out some of the cream for yogurt for extra tang and added in chopped macadamia nuts for their buttery flavour and for some extra crunch.
To make this recipe low FODMAP, use thick lactose free yogurt.
Serves 10
Ingredients
150g egg whites
300g caster sugar
200ml double cream
300ml thick Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
250g strawberries
125g raspberries
125g blueberries
Small bunch of mint, leaves picked
50g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
Method
To make the meringue, preheat the oven to 120C/100C fan/gas mark ½ and line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment.
Put the egg whites into a large, clean bowl and using an electric whisk, whisk to stiff peaks. Start slow, creating small bubbles, before turning the power up to high – this encourages a more stable meringue. Whisk in the caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure the mixture re-stiffens again after each addition. Once all the sugar has been added, whisk for a final 5 minutes. To check that the sugar has been incorporated, take a small bit of the meringue between your fingers. If you can still feel any grains of sugar, whisk a bit more.
Spoon heaped serving spoon sized dollops of the meringue on to the lined baking trays - you’re aiming for about 10 mounds. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the shells are firm to the touch and the meringue can be peeled off the parchment easily. Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and leave to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the double cream to soft peaks and then fold in the yogurt followed by the vanilla extract. Blitz 100g of the strawberries to make a strawberry sauce. Gently stir ½ of the blitzed strawberries through the cream mixture, so that you get a pretty rippled effect.
Place ½ of the cooled meringues on a serving platter and dollop over the strawberry cream. Tumble over the berries, then break up the leftover meringues and scatter them on top. Drizzle over the remaining strawberry sauce and scatter over the mint leaves and macadamia nuts. Serve straight away.
