Boozy winter fruit with billowing meringue toppers

Makes 6

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

400g mixed fruits from Elsey & Bent

200g caster sugar

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise from Spice Mountain

50g amaretti biscuits

3 egg whites from Sillfield Farm

2 tablespoons cocoa - optional

Method

Prepare the fruits by peeling and stoning if necessary and placing all of them in to a pan with 50g of the sugar, a splash of water and the cinnamon and star anise.

Cook gently until the fruits start to soften and break up then remove from the heat.

Crumble the biscuits in to 6 individual dishes or tea cups, then spoon over the fruits. Set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Whisk the egg whites until they reach stiff peak stage, then start to add the remaining sugar about 25g at a time until the meringue looks really glossy. If you are using the cocoa, spoon it through the meringue until the mixture is marbled.

Pile the meringue on to the fruit then bake for 8-10 minutes until the meringue is golden.

Serve the pots with nothing else but a glass of chilled dessert wine.