Ingredients:
- 4 large or 5 regular egg whites at room temperature – not straight out of fridge – there must be NO trace of yolk.
- Tiniest pinch of salt
- 225 grams of castor sugar – I often use regular and grind it down.
- 2 level teaspoons of cornflour
- 1 teaspoon of vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of cold water.
- Mascarpone / yoghurt / sugar mix or whipped cream
- Fruit as appropriate – mixed berries are probably the nicest.
Method:
- Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees centigrade.
- Whip the egg whites until really stiff, add sugar 25% at a time beating in between.
- Add cornflour, water and vinegar.
- Mark a circle in pencil on a piece of baking parchment – I draw round a 23 centimetre plate.
- Pile the egg mix into the centre and organise into a fairly regular cylinder – no need to be over fussy.
- Put in oven for one hour.
- Take out of oven and put the cylinder ‘upside down’ on a flat plate.
- Leave it to cool, the centre will subside making a nest shape – the thing will crack but do not worry.
- When cold let your imagination deal with the decoration.
