Eton Mess

Recipe from Christmas Dinner night.

Ingredients

7 eggwhites, at room temperature

200g icing sugar, plus 3 tbs extra

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp white vinegar

300ml thickened cream

1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped (I used vanilla extract)

2 x 250g punnets strawberries, halved

1 tbs lemon juice

Method
Preheat the oven to 140C.  Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites to soft peaks. 
Sift icing sugar into a bowl, then add caster sugar. 
Gradually whisk sugars into eggwhites until thick and glossy. 
Add cornflour and vinegar, then whisk to combine.
Drop heaped dessertspoons of mixture onto the trays, spaced 6cm apart. 
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 100C and bake for a further 30 minutes. 
Switch off oven and leave meringues in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour or until cooled completely.
Whip cream, vanilla seeds (or extract) and 2 tbs icing sugar in an electric mixer to soft peaks. 
Whiz half the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1 tbs icing sugar in a blender until you have a smooth coulis.
To serve, break up meringues, then divide among glasses, layering with cream, remaining strawberries and coulis.