Name: Spiced meringues with coffee-soaked prunes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 3 egg whites (left over from the fish pies, see 'Goes well with', below); 175g caster sugar; ½ tsp mixed spice; 2 tbsp instant coffee; 50g caster sugar; 250g pack ready-to-eat pitted prune; 285ml and 142ml pot double cream

Spiced meringues with coffee-soaked prunes

For the meringue

3 egg whites
(left over from the fish pies, see 'Goes well with', below)
175g caster sugar
½ tsp mixed spice

For the prunes and cream

2 tbsp instant coffee
50g caster sugar
250g pack ready-to-eat pitted prune
285ml and 142ml pot double cream

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and beat with an electric whisk until thickened and frothy. While whisking, add sugar 1 tbsp at a time until the mix is stiff and glossy. Fold in the spice.
step 2
Working quickly, pile 8 big spoonfuls of the meringue onto the baking sheets, spacing them evenly apart. Then, with the back of a spoon, lightly flatten them and hollow out the centres to make nest shapes. Bake for 45 mins, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool for 4 hrs or overnight. Can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container.
step 3
Put the coffee and sugar in a pan with 200ml water. Add the prunes, bring to a simmer, then stir to dissolve the coffee. Leave to simmer for 10 mins until most of the liquid is absorbed, then take off the heat and cool. Can be made 2 days ahead and chilled.
step 4
To serve, whip the cream until it holds its shape. Spoon onto the meringues, then top with the prunes and a little of their juice.