Recipes

Make the meringue: heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Put the egg whites into a heatproof mixing bowl and add 225g of the sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and whisk (this is far easier done using a handheld electric mixer). Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, then as soon as the mixture feels slightly hot on the finger, remove the bowl from the heat and keep whisking vigorously until you have a very smooth, stiff meringue. This will take a good 5 minutes or so.
Blob 4 large piles of meringue, (or pipe your basket), well spaced, onto the baking sheets and with the back of a spoon fashion them into little indented nest shapes, then put the meringues into the oven, reducing the heat to 140°C/120°C fan/gas

Bake for 2 hours, then turn off the oven and open the door slightly to allow the meringues to cool and crisp inside.

Make the apple puree: Meanwhile, peel and dice the Bramley apples and cook with 50ml water and the 25g sugar until a soft puree- about 12-15 minutes. Remove and decant into a bowl to cool.
Make the apple crisps: slice the apple super thin, I used a mandolin. Bring the water, sugar and lemon juice t the boil, add the apple slices and cook for 5 minutes. Cool slightly, remove and arrange on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Pop in the oven with the meringues and cook for about 45 minutes. Remove and leave to cool on the tray.
Make the cream filling: Whip the double cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the Greek yoghurt, half the berries and ripple through the creme de cassis. Pop in the fridge until needed.

To assemble: spoon the apple puree into the base of the nests, divide the cream mixture between them and top with the remaining berries. garnish with the mint or bay, plus the apple crisp, and dust with icing sugar.