I have had some fabulous raspberries and cultivated blackberries in the garden this year and I couldn't think of a better way to use some of them, especially as I love meringue.
My blackberry plants have unfortunately got to be destroyed because I can't find out what is wrong with them, which is a shame - I seem to be getting a lot of die back.
Cultivated blackberries will never be the same as wild blackberries but they are thorn less, non invasive and the fruits taste surprisingly good. Also, they make large fruits which are very decorative.
I used the blackberries to make shortcakes with blackberry and orange compote last year, and you can see the recipe here.
This time I didn't use Nigella's pavlova recipe but made the usual meringue mix. To get the marbled effect you simply dip a skewer into pink food colouring and swirl it into the meringues just before popping them into the oven.
Meringues are a great way of using up egg whites which you have stored in the freezer after using only the egg yolks in previous recipes. If you freeze them in one egg white and two egg white portions in small bags you will always have a ready supply - as a rule of thumb one egg white weighs 40g.
Serves: 4 people
You will need:
3 large free range egg whites, 165g white caster sugar, pink food colouring, 100ml lightly whipped whipping cream (I used Greek Yogurt), 300g mixed summer berries.
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C, 130°C fan,300°F, Gas 2. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Using an electric whisk, beat for a few minutes until the whites become stiff. Add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
2. Using a little of the meringue mixture, stick baking parchment on to a clean baking sheet. using a spatula, dollop the meringue into 4 circles on the parchment, then make a dip in the centre of each. Dip a skewer into the pink colouring and swirl it into the meringues to make a marble effect.
3. Put the tray into the oven, then immediately turn the oven down to 130°C,110°C fan, 250°F, gas ½ and bake for 40 minutes.
4. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for a few hours.
5. Spoon over the cream or Greek Yogurt and add the berries.
