MERINGUE BASE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Grease a 33cm x 23cm/13in x 10in Swiss roll tin and line with baking paper.
• Whisk the egg whites in a clean, large bowl with an electric mixer on high-speed until very stiff.
• Gradually add the sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time and, keeping the mixer on a high-speed, whisk well between each addition. Whisk until very, very stiff and glossy and all the sugar has been added.
• Spread the meringue mixture into the lined tin and sprinkle with the almonds. Put the tin in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes until golden.
• Lower the temperature to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3 and bake for a further 15 minutes, until crisp and firm to the touch.
• Remove the meringue from the oven and turn almond-side down onto a sheet of baking paper.
• Remove the paper from the base of the cooked meringue and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Lightly whip the cream and mix with the yoghurt. Spread evenly over the meringue.
• Cut the strawberries into quarters and sprinkle over the cream mixture.
• Roll up the meringue firmly, using the paper to help you, from the long end of the roulade. It is essential you keep the roll very tight. Wrap in baking paper and chill before serving.
• When you are ready to serve, dust with icing sugar and cut into slices.

Steps:

• To make pastry, process flour, icing sugar and butter until crumbly. Add egg yolk and cold water; process until ingredients come together. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. Wrap pastry in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Grease a 24cm round loose-based fluted flan pan. Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line pan. Ease pastry into pan, press into base and side; trim edge. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• Place pan on oven tray. Line pastry case with baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake 15 minutes. Remove paper and beans carefully from pastry case. Bake another 10 minutes; cool pastry case, turn oven off.
• Meanwhile, combine cornflour and 1 cup caster sugar in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in juice and the water until smooth. Cook, stirring, over high heat, until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in rind, butter and egg yolks. Cool 10 minutes.
• Spoon the lemon filling into the cooked, cooled pastry case; spread the filling out evenly, covering the base completely and taking it to the edge of the pastry case. Use a fork to roughen the surface of the filling. Cover; refrigerate 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Beat egg whites in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining sugar, beating until sugar dissolves.
• Spread meringue mixture onto roughened surface of filling. Bake about 2 minutes or until meringue is browned lightly.