Cardamom meringue nests

Let your guests fill these sweetly spiced meringues at the table with one of the decadent flavoured creams.

TAKES 2 HOURS 5 MINUTES • SERVES 10

6 egg whites

350g/12oz caster sugar

2 tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp cocoa

FOR THE CREAMS

2 × 300ml tubs extra thick double cream

50g/2oz icing sugar

50g/2oz chopped pistachios

4 passion fruit, flesh scraped out from shells

1 Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and beat with an electric whisk to stiff peaks. Whisk in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until thickened and glossy. Fold in the cardamom.

2 Using a metal spoon, dollop small spoonfuls, evenly spaced, onto the baking sheets, to make around 48 mini meringues. With the back of the spoon, lightly hollow out the centres. Dust with cocoa and bake for 1 hour until crisp. Turn off the oven and leave in the oven to cool.

3 Meanwhile make the cream. Beat the double cream and icing sugar until combined, divide into two bowls. Fold through some of the nuts into one, then scrape into a serving dish and scatter with the rest of the nuts. Ripple most of the passion fruit through the other, put into a serving dish then drizzle over the remaining fruit. Serve with the meringues.

PER SERVING (meringues only) 145 kcals, protein 2g, carbs 34g, fat none, sat fat none, fibre none, sugar 35g, salt 0.10g