Meringues are always popular and although they are simple to make, keep in mind that they soften very quickly in damp weather. It helps if the meringues are left to cool completely in the oven and then transferred immediately to an airtight tin, taking them out just before you serve them. Don’t store filled meringues.
The whites of four eggs, 200g of caster sugar, one teaspoonful of corn flour, 175g of raw shelled pistachios (ground).
Mix the corn flour and sugar together. Whisk the egg-whites until you have stiff peaks, then whisk in the rest of the sugar a spoonful at a time until it is stiff and shiny. Next, fold in about 100g of the pistachios. Put tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto baking-sheets lined with non-stick baking-paper and sprinkle them with the rest of the nuts. Bake them at gas mark ½ /110C for about two hours or until the meringues are dry and come off the paper easily. You can store them in an airtight tin at this point.
Serve them as they are or dip the flat end in some chocolate. You can also sandwich them together with mascarpone beaten with frozen chopped raspberries and icing sugar.