Meringues with Strawberries and Cream

At a recent gathering a young guest with coeliac disease made my usual cupcakes an impossibility - coeliacs can't have gluten in any form.

Instead, I made little meringues and covered them with a dollop of chantilly cream and a fat strawberry half.

For the fluffiest, most pavlova-like meringues without any stickiness or weeping, ensure that your eggs are at room temperature before you begin.

Meringues

2 egg whites

1 1/2 C castor sugar

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp cornflour (check that it is made from corn not wheat if you need it to be gluten free)

1/2 tsp vanilla

4tbsp boiling water

Preheat oven to moderate. Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for around 10 minutes at high speed; mixture will be very thick and satiny. Spoon or pipe into rounds on greased or baking paper lined trays. Put in the oven then reduce the temperature to slow and bake for one hour. Cool before decorating.