Making the perfect meringue is not as tricky as you might think. Follow a few basic rules and you'll find it's easy. Make sure to whisk your egg whites in a squeaky clean and dry bowl, and use room temperature eggs if you can. And for meringues that are crisp on the outside and deliciously soft and sticky inside, just be sure to keep an eye on the oven temperature and timings. Now you've got that nailed, check out these meringue dessert recipes, from pavlova to roulade to Georgina Hayden's epic British Summertime Stack.
British Summertime Stack from Stirring Slowly by Georgina Hayden
“If I could bottle up England in the summertime and bake it? This would be it”, says Georgina Hayden and we reckon she's right. Think zesty sponge, layered up with meringue, sticky strawberry Pimm’s compote and vanilla cream. Heaven.
From the book
Stirring Slowly: Recipes to Restore and Revive
Hearty comfort food to bring joy
Inspiring home-cooked food with global flavours
Beautiful and accomplished bakes
Berry Meringue Ripple from 5 Ingredients: Quick and Easy Food by Jamie Oliver
For something a little simpler, Jamie's meringue dessert is a throw-together recipe for when you want a zero-effort (but still impressive) finale.
Buy a copy of Jamie's 5 Ingredients here.
Pistachio and Rosewater Pavlova from Meringue Girls Cookbook by The Meringue Girls
We couldn't round up our favourite meringue desserts without including one from The Meringue Girls' fun and colourfully creative cookbook. This Middle Eastern-inspired pavlova uses Greek yoghurt instead of cream and is filled with figs and green pistachio, and topped with runny honey and rose petals. Use up any leftover meringue in their Raspberry Ripple Meringue Gelato.
Buy your copy of Meringue Girls Cookbook here.
Hazelnut Meringue Cake from My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes by Mary Berry
A deceptively simple dessert made by squishing together nutty meringue, whipped cream and raspberries. Perfect for summer.
Get your copy of My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes here.
Louise Cake with Plum and Coconut from Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh
Layers of cake, fruity jam and coconut meringue make this New Zealand 'Louise' cake a real summer showstopper.
Head over here to get your copy of Sweet.
Strawberry and Almond Roulade from Britain's Best Home Cook by Jordan Bourke
This summery dessert showcases meringue, seasonal strawberries and cream. For a top tip, adding ground almonds to the meringue gives the roulade a delightful chewiness. Give this a go!
