Meringue Coulis

Meringue Coulis is a beautifully light dessert that combines crisp homemade meringues with a luxurious strawberry cream filling. Fresh strawberry coulis adds vibrant colour and a refreshing fruit flavour that perfectly balances the sweetness of the meringue. It is an ideal make-ahead dessert for summer entertaining and provides an elegant finish to any meal.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 20

Cooling 3

Total Time 4 50

Servings Meringues

Ingredients

Meringues:

4 large egg whites at room temperature
225 g caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp vanilla extract

Strawberry Coulis:

Filling:

300 ml double cream well chilled
5 tbsp strawberry coulis

Decoration:

Instructions

Prepare the Oven:

Preheat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan). Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Make the Meringue:

Whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks.
4 large egg whites
Add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Continue until the mixture becomes thick, glossy, and forms stiff peaks.
225 g caster sugar
Fold in the cornflour, white wine vinegar, and vanilla extract using a rubber spatula. Keep the mixture as light as possible.
1 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, ½ tsp vanilla extract

Shape the Meringues:

Spoon or pipe six generous mounds onto the prepared baking tray, leaving space between each one.
Use the back of a spoon to create a slight indentation in the centre of each meringue. This will make it easier to remove part of the core later.

Bake:

Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Turn the oven off and leave the meringues inside with the door slightly open until completely cool. This helps prevent cracking and produces a crisp shell.

Make the Strawberry Coulis:

Place the strawberries, caster sugar and lemon juice into a small saucepan.
300 g fresh strawberries, 50 g caster sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice
Cook gently for 8–10 minutes until the strawberries soften completely.
Blend until smooth, then pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.
Allow the coulis to cool completely before chilling in the refrigerator.

Prepare the Filling:

Whip the chilled double cream until it forms soft peaks.
300 ml double cream
Fold in five tablespoons of the chilled strawberry coulis. The mixture should become lightly pink with attractive ribbons of strawberry running through it. Avoid overmixing to keep the filling light.
5 tbsp strawberry coulis

Assemble the Dessert:

Using a teaspoon, carefully remove a small portion of the centre from each cooled meringue, creating a deeper hollow without breaking the outer shell.
Spoon or pipe the strawberry cream filling into each meringue until generously filled.
Place the filled meringues onto a serving plate and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Serve:

Just before serving, drizzle the remaining strawberry coulis over each filled meringue.
strawberry coulis
Decorate with halved fresh strawberries and a few fresh mint leaves if desired.
Fresh strawberries, Fresh mint
Serve immediately while the meringues remain crisp.

Equipment

Baking Tray
Baking parchment
large mixing bowl
Electric hand whisk or stand mixer
Spatula
Small Saucepan
Fine sieve
Blender or food processor
Piping Bag or spoon
Cooling rack

Notes

Tips:

Ensure there is no trace of egg yolk in the whites, as this prevents them from whisking properly.

Add the sugar slowly to create a stable, glossy meringue.

Cool the meringues completely before filling to keep them crisp.

Chill both the cream and the coulis thoroughly before combining them.

Assemble the dessert a few hours before serving for convenience, but avoid filling the meringues the day before as they will soften.

Leftover strawberry coulis is delicious spooned over ice cream, pancakes, yoghurt, or cheesecake.

For extra flavour, add a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste to the whipped cream.

If your strawberries are particularly sweet, reduce the sugar in the coulis slightly.

Nutrition