Brown Sugar Meringues with Caledonian Cream by Shirley Spear, owner of The Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye 

Strawberries are always a seasonal treat at this time of year. They may be in the shops all year round, but there is nothing like the real flavour of a Scottish strawberry, ripened in the early summer sunshine and picked fresh. Berry producers excel in this speciality product from Scotland, the climate being ideal for berries of all kinds, lasting right through the summer and into early autumn.

For the meringues: Makes 8 meringue shells
 
INGREDIENTS
2 egg whites
125g soft brown sugar

METHOD
1 Pre-heat the oven to 130°C (fan). 
2 Line a baking tray with non-stick baking parchment paper. 
3 Sieve the sugar through a plastic sieve into a bowl, to ensure it is lump free.
4 In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and forming firm peaks. 
5 Add half the sugar and whisk again until forming soft peaks. 
6 Fold-in the remaining sugar with a metal spoon in a figure-of-eight movement. 
7 Using two dessert spoons, shape the mixture into eight meringue shapes on the baking tray, leaving plenty of room between each one, as they will expand in the oven.
8 Place on a low shelf in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 120°C (fan) for 1 hour. For the final half hour, turn off the oven, but do not open the door. 
9 Allow the meringues to dry for at least a further 30 minutes, before carefully removing from the paper and placing on a wire tray to cool. 
10  Sandwich two shells together with a generous spoonful of Caledonian Cream and serve with fresh Scottish strawberries, just as they come. 

For the Caledonian cream: Enough for 4 meringues

INGREDIENTS
2 heaped tbsps. Dundee marmalade, warmed gently then sieved through a plastic mesh with the back of a wooden spoon to ‘mince’ the peel
1x 140g tub of traditional Highland crowdie cheese.
200ml fresh double cream
2-3 generous tbsps. whisky
2 tbsps. lemon juice

METHOD
1 Sieve the warmed marmalade into a mixing bowl.  
2 Add the lemon juice and whisky and mix well.
3 Add the crowdie cheese and the double cream.  
4 Beat together with whisk until the cheese is much smoother and combines well with the other ingredients. 
5 Add more whisky or lemon juice if necessary to suit your own taste. 
6 Spoon into a serving dish and refrigerate until ready to use. 

In association with Taste Communications, Scotland’s food and drink communications company www.tastecommunications.co.uk