Brown Sugar Meringues with Red Wine Plums

5.00 (3)
⏱ 115 mins 🍽 Makes 6 slices 🌶 british ✅ Easy 🏷 Dessert

This sophisticated dessert features crisp meringue nests made with light muscovado sugar, creating a caramelised flavour. They are baked slowly, then filled with cool crème fraîche. The plums are gently poached in a spiced red wine syrup, which is reduced to a glossy sauce. Both components can be prepared in advance for a stress free dinner party finale. The final assembly is quick, making for an impressive and delicious plate.

Brown Sugar Meringues with Red Wine Plums

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 egg whites
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 50g light muscovado sugar
  • 200ml red wine
  • 85g light muscovado sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 9large ripe plums halved and stoned
  • 400g crème fraîche

Method

  1. Set your oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Cover a large baking sheet with baking paper. Mix the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla into a smooth paste. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks. Gradually whisk in the caster sugar in three additions, incorporating a little of the paste each time and whisking back to firm peaks. Continue whisking until the mixture is dense and heavy.
  2. Place six separate mounds of meringue onto the prepared sheet. Use the back of a spoon to create hollows in the centre of each to form nests. Bake for 1 hr. Switch off the oven and allow the meringues to cool inside for a further hr.
  3. Combine the red wine, 85g light muscovado sugar and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the plum halves and poach gently for 4-5 mins until just tender. Lift out the plums with a slotted spoon, peel away the skins and set them aside.
  4. Turn up the heat under the poaching liquid and boil vigorously until it thickens into a syrup, about 5 mins. Transfer the sauce to a jug and leave it to cool.
  5. For serving, position each meringue nest on a plate. Spoon the crème fraîche into the hollows. Arrange three plum halves on top of each nest and finish by drizzling over the cooled red wine syrup. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories467 kcal
Fat27 g
Saturates17 g
Carbs53 g
Sugars52 g
Fibre2 g
Protein4 g
Sodium64 mg

Recipe details

Skill levelEasy
CategoryDessert
Cuisinebritish