Strawberry, lemon and elderflower meringue

Name: Strawberry, lemon and elderflower meringue
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 400ml double cream; Grated zest and juice 1 lemon; 3 tbsp elderflower cordial; 300-400g ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced; 1 tbsp unrefined caster sugar; A few elderflower heads, in season, to decorate (optional); For the meringue; 4 medium free-range egg whites; 200g unrefined caster sugar; Butter to grease; You’ll also need…; Electric mixer; large baking sheet; compostable baking paper

Portion size: Serves 8
Hands-on time 10 min, Oven time 2 hours 25-30 min, plus cooling
Difficulty: easy

Gluten-free

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Crisp meringue is topped with elderflower-spiked whipped cream and a pile of sweet strawberries in this springtime dessert.

This recipe is from Gill Meller’s cookbook, ROOT STEM LEAF FLOWER: How to Cook with Vegetables and Other Plants (Quadrille £27).

Browse more summer fruit recipes.

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Ingredients

400ml double cream
Grated zest and juice 1 lemon
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
300-400g ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
A few elderflower heads, in season, to decorate (optional)

For the meringue

4 medium free-range egg whites
200g unrefined caster sugar
Butter to grease

You’ll also need…

Electric mixer; large baking sheet; compostable baking paper

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Method

Heat the oven to 120°C/100°C fan/gas 1. To make the meringue, put the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until they form soft peaks (when you lift the beaters out, the peaks flop over). With the mixer running, add large spoonfuls of the sugar, one at a time, beating between each addition, until all the 200g sugar is incorporated. Whisk for a further 6-8 minutes until thick, pale, smooth and glossy.
Lightly grease a sheet of baking paper and lay it on the baking sheet. Spoon the meringue onto the paper to form a large disc about 25cm wide with slightly peaked edges – it doesn’t have to be perfect. Bake the meringue for 25-30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 110°C/90°C fan/ gas ½ and bake for 2 hours more until the meringue has formed a crisp shell. Remove from the oven and allow to cool (see Make Ahead).
When ready to serve, pour the cream into a large bowl. Add half the lemon zest and juice and 2 tbsp of the cordial. Whisk until the cream is thick enough to hold soft peaks.
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Put the strawberries in a bowl with the remaining lemon juice and cordial. Gently turn them to coat. Spoon the cream onto the meringue, top with the strawberries and sprinkle with the sugar, the remaining lemon zest and some elderflower blossoms, if you like.