One of the most impressive easy desserts that you can ever make. Entirely worth the effort. You can top this either with fresh fruit or with ice cream and fudge / caramel.

Ingredients

  • 4 large (120 grams) egg whites
  • 1 cup (200 grams) superfine (castor)sugar
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • Sliced fresh berries or other fruit macerated in a 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup sugar (Fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, or other fruit of your choice)
  • Heavy Cream for whipping

Steps

Note: If you don’t have super fine sugar (and no one does that isn’t in Europe or the United Kingdom) then you can make superfine sugar by processing it for a few minutes in a food processor.

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
  2. Separate egg whites from whole eggs.
  3. Put eggs in bowl of a standing mixer.
  4. Beat on medium initially moving to high speed. Your goal is to beat in the superfine sugar while attaining stiff, glossy peaks. Add the vanilla at the end. The overall time for this when beating at high is between 6 and 7 minutes.
  5. Layer a cookie sheet (non rimmed) with parchment paper. Take a dinner plate and draw a circle around the edge. This is the area where you will place the meringue.
  6. Fill in the circle with the meringue. Place in the oven for 60 to 75 minutes.

Source