Anna Higham’s milk meringue and yogurt mousse

“As a kid, I was always a huge fan of the milk bottle sweets you would get as part of a pick-n-mix selection,” says River Café pastry chef Anna Higham. “This recipe is a definite nod to those milky treats.”

To accompany the milk meringue, you can buy tayberries on Amazon and other online food stockists, but the dish works with any berry – raspberries, or you could try gooseberries or rhubarb too.

“The meringue can be tooth-achingly sweet but is balanced by the acidity of the yogurt mousse alongside the wild-tasting berries,” Higham adds.

Milk meringue with tayberries and yogurt mousse

Ingredients

For the yoghurt mousse: (serves 6)
110ml whole milk
40g caster (superfine) sugar
15g (2tbsp) cornflour
500g thick plain yogurt
250ml double cream

For the milk meringue: (makes 15)
200g egg whites, from 6–7 eggs
Pinch of salt
400g caster sugar
50g (6tbsp) milk powder

To serve:
250g tayberries
4–5 perfect tayberries, to serve

Method

1. To make the meringue; preheat the oven to 120°C with as low a fan setting as possible. Combine the egg whites and salt in a mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-slow speed so that you build a strong, stable meringue. Once the whites hold soft peaks, add the sugar one third at a time, whisking well between each addition.

2. Once all the sugar has been incorporated and you have a strong, glossy meringue, gently fold in the milk powder. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment or a silicone mat. Either pipe the meringue into 6–7cm domes or use two spoons to scoop quenelles onto the lined trays.

3. Bake for two to two-and-a-half hours. The meringues should be crisp on the outside with a slightly gooey centre. Leave to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar then store in an air tight container until ready to serve.

4. To make the yoghurt mousse; whisk together the milk, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan. Place over a medium heat and continue whisking gently until the mixture comes to the boil and has thickened. Pour into a shallow container and chill completely in the fridge. Combine the milk mixture with the yogurt, and add 100g of tayberries in a food processor and blend until completely smooth (so that the fruit is pureed through the base). Whip the double cream until it holds medium peaks and gently fold through the thickened yogurt. Leave to set in the fridge before using.

5. To serve, take three tablespoons of yogurt mousse and add the remaining tayberries along with the whipped double cream, folding through so that you get larger pieces of slightly crushed berries.

6. Use a sharp knife to cut the top of the meringue and divide it into three rough pieces. Place the base of the meringue in a shallow bowl or plate and spoon the tayberry and yogurt mousse on top. Scatter the tayberries over the mousse then cover some of the mousse with the top of the meringue.