Strawberries and cream make these meringues a sweet summer treat.

Strawberry and cream meringues

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1 pint fresh ripe strawberries
• 1 cup 35% cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 215.F.

2 To make the meringues, whip the egg whites with an electric hand mixer for 3 minutes, until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat for about 7 or 8 minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form.

3 Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle. Pipe teardropshaped “kisses,” about 1" in diameter, onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake kisses in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave meringues inside for 1 more hour to dry.

4 Meanwhile, hull the strawberries and cut them into quarters. Place in a bowl and stir in remaining 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Crush a few of the berries with the back of a spoon to release some of their juices and make a saucy mixture. Set aside.

5 Using an electric hand mixer, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract in a chilled bowl until cream is thick but still soft.

6 To serve, place dollops of whipped cream into four dishes, adding some of the strawberry mixture, another layer of whipped cream and some meringues. Top with a couple of whole strawberries to garnish if desired.

Serves 4