Pure Indulgence 15p

Mandarin & Pineapple Meringue

Probably not the most attractive looking dessert you've ever seen, but it may well be one of the most indulgent, and certainly calorific, that you are likely to have. Best of all (as long as you are sensible and restrained, and not greedy little piggies like we were) it serves 12 making it perfect for a dinner party or celebration (piping the meringue would pretty it up no end -I liked the random chaos of just splodging it on, besides, my piping bag has gone awol) and brings the cost in at 15p per portion.

I've been meaning to post this up all week but life just sort of ran away with me. This is the dessert I made when my step-daughter and her husband visited last weekend. As they had promised to bring beer and pizza (rare treats), it was only fair that I provided pudding, and as I'd got quite a stash of egg whites in the freezer, meringue was the obvious choice.

I think I may have mentioned before, my hubby detests eggs whites on fried eggs and as he's rather partial to egg on toast I collect far more than my fair share of egg whites. I am on a permanant mission to discover new and interesting ways to use them (suggestions very welcome). Thankfully they freeze very well.

 

A quick rumage through my cupboards revealed a tin of mandarins and a tin of pineapple chunks, maybe not my prefered choice, but they'd do and step-daughter promised me she'd pick up some double cream. It was all coming together nicely.

Mandarin and Pineapple Indulgence

All prices rounded to the nearest penny

6 egg whites 24p* (Aldi 15 eggs £1.35)
300g sugar 26p (Aldi 1kg 85p)
1 can pineapple chunks, drained 20p (Morrison's Savers 20p)
1 can broken mandarin segments 23p (Morrison's Savers 23p)
20g lemon curd 1p (411g Morrison's Savers 22p)
300ml pot double cream 85p (Aldi 85p)
1 tablespoon Cornflour 1p (Aldi 400g 55p)
Total cost £1.80     Serves 12 at 15p per portion

* I've costed the egg whites as half an egg each as I'd already used the yolk.

Pre heat oven to gas mark 2 (150C)

Whip egg whites until light and fluffy then gradually stir in the sugar and continue to whisk until thick and glossy and forming stiff peaks. Stir in cornflour.

Spoon or pipe mixture onto a baking tray lined with a sheet of greaseproof paper. I used a circular shape for simplicity but you could use any I suppose. When you have your circle about an inch thick, pipe or spoon extra dollops (that's a technical term, don't ya know) around the edge creating a central well for the fruit and cream once it's cooked.

Bake on a low shelf at gas mark 2 (150C) for one hour, the turn down the heat to gas mark 1(140C) for a further 2 hours. This gives you a meringue that is a lovely golden colour, crisp on the outside but still slightly gooey in the middle. If you prefer yours softer or crunchier just adjust the timings.

Once baked, turn off the oven and LEAVE IN OVEN to cool. This helps to reduce cracking. I forgot, as you can probably tell from the picture.

When completely cool, whip your cream until it forms soft peaks and gently stir through the lemon curd. Spoon the cream and fruit into the meringue casing in as pretty or haphazzard way as you prefer.

 

It went down very well, and we still have quite a bit in the freezer all portioned up but I'm trying to forget it's there. Tasty it may be, innocent it isn't!

You could, of course, use any fruit. I just used what I had in my cupboards as it was all done on rather short notice but I think it would work well with most things. I fancy raspberries, although if I make it again I'll probably make much less of it, it's just too much of  a temptation ;)