Summer berry meringues
See this recipe step by step

Summer berry meringues

Gordon Ramsay gives us a masterclass in meringues – the perfect prepare-ahead pudding

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 40 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs

Freezable

Method

  1. Heat oven to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼. Tip the egg whites and lemon juice into the clean bowl of a food mixer. Whisk until the whites double in volume and hold a peak when the whisk is drawn through them. Keep the whisk running and add the sugar a tbsp at a time, incorporating completely before adding the next. Whisk until all the sugar has been added and the whites are glossy.
  2. Place a square of baking parchment on a large baking sheet. Pencil nine circles, about 7cm each, onto the parchment. Spoon the meringue into a large piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe concentric rounds to fit each drawn circle, piping two or more rings around the edge to form a nest. Bake for 2 hrs until they are crisp and lift off the paper easily. Leave to cool completely.
  3. Whisk the crème fraîche until stiff, then fold in the yogurt. Set 2 strawberries and 9 raspberries aside and roughly chop the rest. Tip the chopped berries, mint and ginger into a bowl. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar and use a wooden spoon to mash to a rough purée. Gently fold the berries into the yogurt mix, adding icing sugar to taste.
  4. To assemble, cut the remaining strawberries into 9 slices and place a slice inside each meringue case. Generously share the rippled cream between the cases, then top with a raspberry and a mint sprig. Dust with a little icing sugar just before serving. ( Meringues keep in an airtight container for 2 days.)
Try

Use week old egg whites

Older egg whites are better for whisking than fresh - about a week old is ideal. The older they get, the more they liquefy and become easier to whisk.

Clean equipment

All the equipment you use to make meringues must be scrupulously clean, dry and grease-free. Even the slightest smudge of oil on the bowl or pin-drop of egg yolk in the whites will stop them from whisking properly. It's best to use a metal bowl as plastic retains traces of fatty substances on the surface.

Low temp and slow cooking

The lower the heat the better, so use your oven's 'keep warm' function if it has one. An Aga's lowest warming oven is ideal for meringues. The lower the heat, the longer the meringues are going to take to cook, so if cooking on a lower heat than stated, they can take up to 8 hours.

Per meringue

217 kcalories, protein 3g, carbohydrate 32g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 1g, sugar 32g, salt 0.13 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 21-24

  • Binder photo samantha

    28 August 2011

    samantha commented on this recipe

    Did this recipe last night! used an electric whisk and still the creme freche was not behaving didnt go very stiff at all (lol) But it did taste nice when put together. I personally cannot stand ginger so did not put that in. but it tasted nice even if it was a tad sloppy.

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  • Binder photo char

    06 December 2011

    char rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    my foster child and my self made them for the first time and they came out great. we have been looking up recipes as my foster child would like to be a chef and is hoping to start college next year

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  • Binder photo Lee McCluskey

    16 September 2012

    Lee McCluskey rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Looking at the step by step pictures it shows a mixing bowl almost overflowing. Then it shows at least 9 meringue nests all pretty tall with at least three rings. I dont know how you can make 9 nests from the whites of 3 eggs I have tried and tried the 1st attempt 4 nests and the 2nd attempt 6 smaller nests. Having said the above the recipe does not state how many nests it makes but I have to admit they are pretty spectacular in taste and texture.

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  • Binder photo Lee McCluskey

    16 September 2012

    Lee McCluskey commented on this recipe

    I also forgot to mention that I did not use the filling in this recipe it didn't appeal to me and looked like some people having problems with it. I simply whisked some whipping cream (fresh cream not Elmlea yuck!) and topped it with whole small sweet British strawberries and have also made more since using fresh rasberries and others with black cherries. Plain and simple, quick and easy to do and everyone is amazed by them.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 40 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs

Freezable

Stunning dinner party finale

Ingredients

FOR THE MERINGUE NESTS

  • 3 egg whites
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • 150g caster sugar

FOR THE RIPPLED CREAM

  • 200ml tub crème fraîche
  • 200ml natural yogurt
  • 300g strawberries , hulled
  • 250g raspberries
  • small bunch mint , leaves stripped and finely chopped
  • small knob fresh root ginger , peeled and finely grated
  • 5 tbsp icing sugar (you may not need it all)
  • 9 little sprigs of mint and icing sugar, to decorate
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Per meringue

217 kcalories, protein 3g, carbohydrate 32g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 1g, sugar 32g, salt 0.13 g

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