Red Fruit Pavlovas with Chocolate Sauce

        These individual pavlovas should be crisp on the outside and marshmallowy inside. The chocolate sauce, which asn be served either warm or cold, can be spooned over just before  serving.

Serves : 8

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Cooking time : 50 – 35 minutes

3 Cadbury’s Flake

4 egg whites

200 g/7 oz caster sugar

1 teaspoon cornflour

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

350 g/11 ½ oz stawberries or raspberries

150 ml/ ¼ pint double cream 

SAUCE

200 g/7 oz Cadbury’s Bournville chocolate, broken into pieces

4 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons golden syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

25 g/1 oz unsalted butter

1. Line a large baking sheet with nonstic paper. Cozrsely crumble the Flake.

2. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until suiff. Gradually whisk in the dugar, 1 tablespoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Stir in the cornflour, vinegar and two-thirds of the crumbled Flake. Divide the mixture into 8 mounds on the baking sheet, spreading each one to about 7 cm/3 inches in diameter and making a sip in the centre. Bake in a preheared oven, 140^oC (275^oF), Gas Mark 1, for 45-50 minutes until crisp Loave to cool.

3. For the sauce, put the chocolate, milk, golden syryp and vanilla essence into a small heavy-based saucepan and heat gently, stirring frequently until the chocolate has melted. Stir in the butter. Continue stirring until the sauce is smooth, then pour it into a jug.

4. Slice the strawberries, if using. Whip the cream, fold in the fruit and spoon the mixture on to the meringues. Decorate with the remaining crumbled Flake and serve with the sauce.