lavender meringues with fresh berries

Lavender Meringues With Fresh Berries

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 eggwhites
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 2/3 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon lavender blossoms – crushed
• A little purple food colouring (optional)
• Cream
• 200 ml thickened cream
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 teas vanilla extract
• Assorted berries (sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) to serve

Method

1. whisk eggwhites and salt with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form
2. sprinkle in caster sugar in batches and beat until stiff peaks form
3. fold in icing sugar and lavender and colour (if using)
4. spoon meringue mixture in 6 rounds onto a greased and floured baking tray
5. bake for 1 ½ hours at 100C then turn oven off and cool in oven
6. whip cream with vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form
7. mix berries together
8. place a meringue on each serving plate, top with cream and berries and dust with extra icing sugar