Step-by-step

Step-by-step Chocolate marbled meringues

Resistance is futile with this stunning desser t – and it makes the most of seasonal rhubarb too!

C H O C O L AT E M A R B L E D M E R I N G U E S W I T H R H U B A R B & R A S P B E R R Y C O M P O T E

Serves 10 freeze compote only Takes 1 hr 40 mins plus 2 hrs cooling Cost per serve £1.23

150g classic dark chocolate 74% cocoa, broken into small pieces 6 medium egg whites 200g caster sugar 150g light brown muscovado sugar 2 tsp cornflour 2 tsp white wine vinegar For the compote 1 orange, zested 1 vanilla bean pod, halved lengthways, seeds scraped out (or 1 tsp vanilla bean extract) 150g caster sugar 400g rhubarb, cut into 3cm pieces 250g pack fresh raspberries

1 Preheat the oven to gas ½, 120°C, fan 100°C. Melt 80g chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over, but not touching, a pan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, then remove from the heat. Set aside to cool for 10 mins. 2 Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick baking paper. Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk for 2-3 mins until soft peaks form (see pic A, right). Add the sugars, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking after each addition (pic B). Add the cornflour and vinegar, then whisk for 5 mins or until the meringue is thick, glossy and forms stiff peaks. 3 Drizzle half the melted chocolate over the meringue mix (pic C). Without mixing (it will swirl in as you spoon it), spoon half the mixture in large dollops onto the baking sheets to make 5 large meringues (pic D). 4 Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the meringue mixture in the bowl. Spoon out 5 more meringues. Bake for 1 hr, then turn off the oven, open the door slightly and leave to cool fully for 2 hrs (pic E). 5 Meanwhile, make the compote. Put the orange zest, vanilla seeds, caster sugar and 300ml water in a saucepan over a low heat. Stir for 2-3 mins until the sugar dissolves. 6 Add the rhubarb and poach gently for 5 mins or until soft but still holding its shape. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the rhubarb to a plate, then boil the poaching liquid rapidly for 5-10 mins until syrupy (pic F). Remove from the heat, add the raspberries and the poached rhubarb to the syrup, then leave to cool completely. 7 Melt the remaining 70g chocolate as in step 1. Serve the meringues topped with a large spoonful of compote and drizzled with the melted chocolate.

Each serving contains

Energy Fat Saturates

Sugars Salt 1268kJ 299kcal 6g 4g 57g 0.1g 15% 9% 19% 64% 2%

of the reference intake. See page 105. Carbohydrate 59g Protein 5g Fibre 4g A WHISKING TO SOFT PEAKS

Use a large, very clean non-plastic bowl to whisk the meringues – any grease in the bowl can stop the egg whites from whipping effectively. B ADDING THE SUGAR

Don’t add the sugar too quickly as that can make the egg white collapse. Adding the cornflour and vinegar gives a softer, slightly chewy meringue, and also helps to stabilise the mixture.

C ADDING THE CHOCOLATE

Make sure to let the chocolate cool before you add it to the egg mixture: you don’t want cooked egg white! Use a spoon to drizzle it evenly over the meringue in a zigzag pattern. D SHAPING THE MERINGUES

Use a tablespoon to dollop out spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking paper, being careful not to over-swirl the chocolate. Space them out evenly as they will spread a little while they cook.

E BAKING THE MERINGUES

Leaving the cooked meringues in the oven to cool down helps them to really dry out and develop a crisp crust; it also prevents them from becoming sticky. F MAKING THE COMPOTE

Rhubarb cooks quickly: poach it over the lowest heat until a sharp knife easily pierces the batons. Storing the rhubarb in its poaching syrup will bring out even more of its vibrant pink colour.