Meringues with clotted cream and strawberries

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• 300ml/½ pint clotted cream
• 900g/2lb fresh small strawberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.

2. Put the egg whites into a large clean bowl and whisk to form soft peaks. Add 110g/4oz of the sugar and continue to whisk.

3. Gradually add another 110g/4oz of sugar, a spoonful at a time, until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

4. Gently fold in the remaining sugar.

5. Shape 20 large spoonfuls of the meringue onto 2 baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

6. Lower the oven temperature to 110C/225F/Gas ¼ and cook for a further 2-3 hours until very crisp and dry.

7. Leave to cool, then store in an air tight tin.

8. Serve with the clotted cream and strawberries