Lemon Meringue in a Glass

After Toast by Kate Gibbs
Published by Allen & Unwin

Half cheesecake, half lemon meringue pie. My grandmother, Margaret Fulton, is an expert on the cheesecake. Her New York cheesecake is about my favourite dessert—light and fluffy concoction on a biscuit base, a thin layer of sour cream adding a gorgeous gilded topping. This isn’t that, but it’s a fun take on that traditional dessert, with a touch of billowing lemon meringue pie, all spooned into a glass so you can see the pretty layers.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (50 g/13/4 oz) whole hazelnuts, skin on
• 5 ginger nut biscuits
• 50 g (13/4 oz ) butter
• 1 ½ cups (195 g/63/4 oz) frozen raspberries
• 4–5 tbsp lemon curd
• 250 g (9 oz) mascarpone cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk

Method

In a food processor, blend together hazelnuts and biscuits, so they’re roughly chopped (not too fine).

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add nut mixture. Stir and let mixture cook for 1 minute, or until it is slightly fragrant. Turn off heat.

Reserve about 1 tbsp mixture for topping. Divide the rest among four glasses, pressing down a little with a spoon.

Scatter a few frozen raspberries in each glass. Dollop lemon curd over the top, then top with remaining raspberries. Leave to sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.

In a bowl, combine mascarpone, vanilla extract, and some of the milk. Mix well with a wooden spoon, until cheese is soft and very smooth. Add a splash more milk if it’s too firm. Dollop mixture into glasses, making it pretty and dollopy and not pushing it down into the glass.

When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle reserved ginger crumble over each glass.

In a food processor, blend together hazelnuts and biscuits, so they’re roughly chopped (not too fine).

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add nut mixture. Stir and let mixture cook for 1 minute, or until it is slightly fragrant. Turn off heat.

Reserve about 1 tbsp mixture for topping. Divide the rest among four glasses, pressing down a little with a spoon.

Scatter a few frozen raspberries in each glass. Dollop lemon curd over the top, then top with remaining raspberries. Leave to sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.

In a bowl, combine mascarpone, vanilla extract, and some of the milk. Mix well with a wooden spoon, until cheese is soft and very smooth. Add a splash more milk if it’s too firm. Dollop mixture into glasses, making it pretty and dollopy and not pushing it down into the glass.

When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle reserved ginger crumble over each glass.