Raspberry ripple meringue recipe

Raspberry ripple meringue makes an impressive summer dessert, with three layers of meringue layered with cream, custard, fruit and pistachio. It's so worth the extra effort to make this from scratch for a summer celebration. You won't believe it's only 184 calories per serving, so don't worry too much about going back for seconds!

Ingredients

• 4 medium egg whites
• 225g caster sugar
• 1tsp cornflour mixed with 1tsp vinegar
• 3tbsp freeze-dried raspberries, crushed with a pestle and mortar
• 75ml double cream
• 250ml ready-made custard
• 1⁄2tsp vanilla extract
• 300g raspberries
• 25g pistachios, finely chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 130C, gas 1. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper (use a blob of the meringue in each corner to stick it down).
2. Whisk the egg whites on a low speed until foamy, turn up the speed and whisk until stiff. Add the sugar, 1tbsp at a time, until stiff and shiny, then the cornflour mix before gently marbling in the freeze-dried raspberries with a balloon whisk.
3. Draw three 25x10cm rectangles on the baking paper. Scrape the mixture into a piping bag and, using a flat nozzle, pipe lines lengthways within the borders. Use any leftover mixture to pipe mini meringues for decorating. Cook for 1 hr, then turn the oven off and leave to cool.
4. Whisk the cream, custard and vanilla until thick enough to stick to a spoon. Spread half over one of the long meringues, then sprinkle over 1⁄3 of the raspberries and a little of the pistachio. Repeat with the next layer, then top with the last meringue. Decorate with mini meringues, raspberries and pistachios.