Ingredients

3 egg whites

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 level cup of castor sugar (185g)

1 dessertspoon cornflour

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon vinegar For The Filling 285 mL cream

3 teaspoons castor sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

250 g strawberries

4 or 5 Chinese gooseberries (kiwi fruit)

6 passionfruit

1 banana

Method

1. Preheat oven to 210ºC

2. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric beater till they are quite stiff. Add most of the castor sugar, a spoonful at a time, beating well to dissolve.

3. Sift in the cornflour with the last spoonful of sugar then fold in the vanilla.

4. Add vinegar and fold in well.

5. Draw an 18cm circle on greased greaseproof paper. Place on a greased baking tray. Sprinkle lightly with cornflour.

6. Spread the meringue mixture to cover the circle, shaping it into a cake or pie shell.

7. Turn oven down to 100ºC and place meringue in the cooler part of the oven. Bake until crisp and dry (about 1½ - 2 hours). When cooked open the oven door and cool before removing the meringue. Peel away the paper.

8. To make the filling: whip the cream and sweeten lightly with castor sugar and vanilla. Hull and clean strawberries, slice them in half if they are too big. Peel and slice Chinese gooseberries. Cut the passionfruit in half and scoop out pulp. Peel and slice the banana. Immediately sprinkle lemon juice over the fruit to retain colour. Fill the top of the meringue with the whipped cream and place the prepared fruits decoratively on top. (If the fruits given are not available substitute fresh or tinned pears, mandarins and pineapple.)