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For the meringue
- 3
medium egg whites
- 150 g
caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp.
white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp.
cornflour
- Step 1Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C) mark 1. Draw a 20.5cm square on a sheet of baking parchment, then draw a heart within the square, making it as tall and wide as possible. Place on a baking sheet, flipping the parchment so the ink is underneath.
- Step 2For the meringue, using a freestanding mixer, or a handheld electric whisk and a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar, whisking back up to stiff peaks after each addition. The finished meringue should be thick and glossy. Add the vinegar and cornflour and briefly beat in.
- Step 3Pipe or spoon and spread the meringue into the heart template, banking up the sides slightly. Bake for 1hr, then turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside to cool completely.
- Step 4Meanwhile, make the topping. Cut the rhubarb into rough 2.5cm pieces (halve the stalk lengthways first, if wide) and put into a medium frying pan (that has a lid). Scatter over the sugar and orange zest and juice, then add 25ml water. Cover and cook gently for 5min, or until the rhubarb is just tender but not collapsing.
- Step 5Carefully transfer just the rhubarb to a plate (leaving the syrup behind in the pan). Gently simmer the syrup for a few min until thickened. Strain into a small jug and stir in the rose water. Leave the rhubarb and syrup to cool completely.
- Step 6To serve, transfer the cooled meringue to a cake stand or plate. Beat the cream until it just holds its shape. Pour in 1/2 the rhubarb syrup and marble through using a large metal spoon. Spoon on to the meringue and top with the rhubarb. Drizzle over some of the remaining rhubarb syrup (See GH TIP) and decorate with rose buds/petals and pared orange zest, if using.
GET AHEAD:
Bake and cool the meringue heart up to a day ahead. Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Prepare rhubarb and syrup up to 2hr ahead. Set aside at room temperature. Complete recipe to serve.
GH TIP:
Any spare rhubarb and rose syrup is wonderful added to chilled fizz, or to a gin and tonic.
Per serving:
- Calories: 396
- Protein: 3g
- Total fat: 27g
- Saturates: 17g
- Carbs: 35g
- Total sugars: 35g
- Fibre: 1g
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
