Juliet Smith sent in the recipe for this delicious strawberry and meringue slice that stirred fond memories of lunch at grandma’s house.
The strawberry filling sits on a biscuit base. Glossy meringue is spread over strawberries with almonds and baked. Serve warm or cold with softly whipped cream
Strawberry and Meringue Slice
Makes 20 pieces
Ingredients:
375g strawberries, hulled slices
2 tbsp favourite liqueur (or vodka or grappa)
2 tbsp caster sugar
125g butter, softened
1/3 cup caster sugar (extra, for base)
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup plain flour
½ cup self-raising flour
2 egg whites (extra)
½ cup caster sugar (extra, for meringue)
1/3 cup slivered almonds
whipped cream (or crème fraiche), to serve
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 28cm x 18cm baking pan with baking paper.
Combine strawberries, liqueur and sugar in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until required.
To make biscuit base, using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar (extra, for base) until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Sift flours into butter mixture and stir until well combined.
Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with flour-coated fingers. Bake for 20 minutes or until pale golden. Cool for 10 minutes.
Drain strawberries and spread over biscuit base.
To make meringue, using an electric beater, beat egg whites (extra) until soft peaks form. Add sugar (extra, for meringue), 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition until a thick, glossy meringue forms. Spread meringue over strawberries and sprinkle with almonds.
Bake for 15–20 minutes or until light golden and crisp. Cut into pieces and serve warm or cold with softly whipped cream.