Meringues with white chocolate cream and gooseberry compote

Cooking with Paula McIntyre

Meringues

4 egg whites 225g castor sugar 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon cornflour

Set oven to 120oc and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Whisk the eggs in a clean bowl to stiff peaks and fold the sugar in slowly, whisking all the time. Add the vinegar and cornflour and whisk for a minute. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe mounds onto the parchment. Take the back of a teaspoon and make a dent in the middle. Bake for about an hour or until set. Turn off the oven, open the door ajar and allow the meringues to cool. White chocolate cream 500ml double cream 175g white chocolate chopped

Take 125ml of the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the white chocolate and stir until melted. Cool for 20 minutes. Whisk the rest of the cream and fold in the cold white chocolate mixture.

Gooseberry compote 350g gooseberries, topped and tailed 75g sugar 2 tablespoons elderflower cordial

Place the gooseberries, sugar and cordial in a pan and cook gently until gooseberries are just cooked. Remove gooseberries and boil the remaining liquid to a thick syrup and add back to the gooseberries. Cool.

Spoon some gooseberry compote into the dents in the meringue and then pipe or scoop some cream on top. Serve.