Strawberry and Hazelnut Meringues with Crushed Strawberry Cream

Meringues: Preheat the oven to 100˚C. Roughly chop the strawberries and crush with a fork. You need ¹/₃ cup of crushed fruit. Place in a sieve and allow the excess liquid to drain off.

Beat the egg whites until foamy then add the sugar a little at a time, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the cornflour, lemon juice and the hazelnuts then the strawberries. Place large spoonfuls on a lined baking tray, spacing them slightly apart. Bake for 2 hours, turning the tray occasionally for even cooking, until the meringues are crisp on the outside and can be lifted easily off the tray. They will still be soft in the centre. Cool a little then transfer to a cooling rack.

Strawberry cream: Crush strawberries with the icing sugar and fold into the cream to give a marbled effect.

To serve: Top the meringues with strawberry cream and dust with icing sugar. Makes about 16 meringues

Cook’s tip: The meringues will keep for 2 days in an airtight container but will soften a little and become sticky on the outside.