Strawberry and Clotted Cream Meringue Nests

A summer afternoon deserves a light and elegant little bake, some meringue nests are filled with strawberries and clotted cream. If you fancy attempting the whole recipe then make the meringues from scratch but, if time is not on your side, there is no harm in opting for some shop bought meringues. If you add the filling and pop them on a plate no one will be any the wiser! However, whether you are completing all steps or just the quick version, it is best to fill the meringues just before serving so they stay crisp and light.

Recipe - Makes 20

For the meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• 240g caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

For the topping:

• 1 tub clotted cream
• 400g strawberries, washed

Preheat the oven to 100C. Make the meringue by whisking the egg whites in a clean glass bowl with an electric mixer until stiff, then add the sugar one spoon at a time, whisking to combined before adding more. Continue to whisk the meringue mixture until it forms stiff glossy peaks. Add the cornflour and vinegar and whisk well. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 0.5cm star nozzle and pipe nests onto lined baking trays by starting from the middle and piping a swirl then piping up the sides to form walls. Bake for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave inside to cool (if you have a fan oven you may wish to prop the door open a little to stop it getting sweaty inside). 

Set one strawberry aside for each meringue nest and with a sharp knife in lines from the stalk downwards, leaving the top intact. This should let it open out as a fan. Remove the tops from the remaining strawberries and chop into small pieces. Remove the cool meringues from the oven and fill each with strawberry pieces then spoon a dollop of the cream on top. Decorate with a fanned strawberry to finish.