Mini meringues with cream and fresh fruit

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan100°C/gas ½ and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
2. Separate the eggs and put the whites in a clean bowl (save the yolks for scrambled eggs on toast!). Put the bowl on a folded tea towel so it doesn’t slip. Using an electric hand whisk, whisk the egg whites on a low speed until they turn white. Gradually increase the speed and whisk until the whites form soft peaks when you lift the whisk out.
3. Add a little sugar, whisk, then add another spoonful of sugar and whisk again. Continue until you have added half the sugar. Tip in the rest and give it a final quick whisk. Don’t over-whisk or it won’t hold its shape in the oven.
4. Dollop large spoonfuls of meringue onto the baking sheets. Use a teaspoon to hollow out the middle of each one so that it has slightly higher sides and a flat middle, like a nest.
5. 5. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the meringues feel crisp and lift off the paper easily. Ask an adult to take them out of the oven and leave to cool. In a bowl, whisk the cream until you have soft peaks (just like for the egg whites). Spoon the cream into the meringues and top with the berries.