A rosewater meringue with black currants and cream.

Meringue is always easier to make in large quantities. (The same goes for mayonnaise, in my experience.) You will find you have a few meringues left over for the next day. They will keep in an airtight container quite well.
Serves 6
For the meringues:
eggs – 5
caster sugar – 300g
a few drops of rosewater
 double cream - 300mls

For the blackcurrant sauce:
black currants - 300g
caster sugar - 3 tablespoons
water - 2 tablespoons


Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment. Set the oven at
180˚C/Gas 6.
Make the meringues: scatter the sugar over a baking sheet, put it in the oven then leave for 10 minutes or so until warm. Whip the egg whites till firm and fluffy then fold in the warm sugar. Keep beating for a good 5 minutes with the electric wish until the meringue is shiny. Place large heaped spoonfuls of mixture on the baking sheet, leaving room for the meringues to spread and puff. Put the meringues in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 120˚C/Gas 1. Bake for about an hour, turning down the heat if they are browning too much – you want them to be a pale honey colour.
         When the meringues are crisp on top, let them cool. The ideal is for them to remain fudgy inside.
         Make the sauce below and chill. Whip the cream till it will just about keep its shape, it shouldn’t be so thick that it will stand in peaks. Press the centre of each meringue with the back of a spoon so that you make a hollow. Pile the cream inside. Serve the sauce in a jug to pour over as you eat.

For the sauce:
for the blackcurrant sauce:
300g black currants
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

.          Pull the black currants from their stalks. Put them into a saucepan
with the sugar and water and bring to the boil. As soon as the berries start
to burst and the juice turn a dramatic purple remove from the heat and set
aside. Leave to cool slightly.