Serves 4

For the meringues

- 2 egg whites

- ½ tsp lemon juice

- 110g caster sugar

- ¼ tsp vanilla extract

For the mess

- 300g green gooseberries, topped and tailed with a knife

- 75g sugar

- 5 tbsp undiluted elderflower cordial (bought or home-made)

- 400ml double cream

Start with the meringues — they’ll need several hours to cook and cool. You could happily make them the day before.

Heat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas Mark 1. Put the egg whites in a bowl with the lemon juice and whisk until they form stiff peaks when you lift the whisk. Don’t overdo it, or the whites will go grainy. Whisk in the sugar, a third at a time, making sure each lot is thoroughly beaten in before adding the next. Add the vanilla with the last bit of sugar. The mixture should be stiff and glossy.

Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper and add 8 equal blobs of the meringue mixture, leaving a bit of space in between. Put on a low shelf in the oven and bake for 50 minutes until crisp on the outside. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside until cool.

Heat the gooseberries and 75g sugar with 1 tbsp water, bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the fruit has just popped — you want a bit of bobbly texture, rather than a smooth puree. Leave to cool, then stir in 2 tbsp of the elderflower cordial and put in the fridge to chill.

Mix the cream with the remaining elderflower cordial and beat until it’s a soft, lolloping cloud. You want gently rolling hills rather than dramatic peaks. Crumble in chunks of meringue, add the gooseberries and fold loosely together. Divide between 4 bowls or glasses and dig in.

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