These pretty meringues can be served with either lime or lemon curd and the berries of your choice – blackberries, blueberries and strawberries also work well.
4 large egg whites, size 7, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon freeze-dried raspberry powder
To serve
200 grams mascarpone
1 punnet fresh raspberries
Lime curd
¾ cup caster sugar
110 grams butter, chopped into chunks
finely grated zest 2 limes (or lemons)
¾ cup freshly squeezed lime (or lemon) juice
3 large eggs, size 7, ideally free range, whisked
Makes 6
Preheat the oven to 100°C.
Grease a flat oven tray and line with baking paper.
Meringues: Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks then gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat until thick and glossy and the sugar is really well dissolved; undissolved sugar will cause the meringue to weep.
Using a large metal spoon, fold in the cornflour, vinegar and raspberry powder. Spoon 6 big blobs of meringue onto the prepared trays, about 3cm apart. Use a teaspoon to create little peaks so that you will have an area in which to drop the mascarpone and lime curd – these don’t have to be too deep.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the meringues will lift off the paper easily, then turn off the heat and leave the meringues in the oven to cool.
Lime Curd: Have a 1½ cup capacity sterilised jar at the ready.
Heat the sugar, butter, zest and juice in the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water; make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Once the butter has melted, whisk in the eggs. Continue whisking over the heat for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Pour into jar and seal if storing. Refrigerate and use within two weeks. (This is extra limey and quite tart.)
To serve: Place the meringues on plates, top each with a spoonful of mascarpone, lime curd, and a sprinkling of raspberries.
