Sheet Cake Pan Meringue with Summer Berries

Make the most of summer berries with this twist on the humble pav. Kathy Paterson separated the meringue making in the recipe, so you don’t need to make the shapes if you prefer not to.  Otherwise, make the meringue and the decorations together then separate enough out to fill a piping bag. You can still pipe with the toasted and chopped nuts in the meringue mixture.

Serves 6

Meringue

6 egg whites

340g caster sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

50g local fresh walnuts or hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Meringue decorations

2 egg whites

115g caster sugar

To finish

300ml cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 x 250g chips berries

a few edible flowers

freeze-dried raspberries and blueberries, optional

Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a 30cm x 20cm sheet cake pan with baking paper.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add the caster sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Add in the cornflour and vinegar and lastly fold in the walnuts or hazelnuts.

Dollop the meringue into the prepared tin and roughly smooth the top.

Lower the oven temperature to 140°C. Put meringue in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, make the meringue decorations. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the caster sugar and beat until stiff and glossy.

Put the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe shapes onto the prepared tray then put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until crisp. (You can gauge by removing one - it should easily lift of the baking paper). Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To serve,  remove the meringue from the sheet cake pan (I leave the baking paper on and put onto a large board or use a rectangular plate to fit).

Whip the cream until its holds it shape then fold through the vanilla extract. Spoon the cream into the natural spaces in the meringue.

Go wild and decorate with the berries and meringue shapes. Finish with a few edible flowers and sprinkle with freeze dried berries, either left whole or crushed, if wished.