Meringue tarts with tea-soaked prunes

The English have a tradition of soaking prunes in tea and the combination is delicious when paired with something sweet such as meringue. Dilmah Ceylon Gold is a full-bodied tea with full yet rounded tannins that balance the sweetness of the prunes. Buy online at thedilmahshop.co.nz. Start this recipe 12 hours in advance.

For another great afternoon tea treat, see our strawberry sponge cake.

Ingredients

24	Pitted prunes, each halved lengthways (Main)
100 ml	Dilmah Ceylon Gold tea, freshly brewed
6	Sweet pastry cases, bought or homemade 8cm-diameter short-crust ones (Main)
2 large	Egg whites
120 g	Caster sugar
½ tsp	Vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 150C.
2. Put the prunes into a small bowl. Add the tea, mix well and set aside for 12 hours at room temperature. The tea will be absorbed by the prunes.
3. Place the tart cases on an ovenproof tray. Put eight prune halves in the bottom of each tart case. Reserve.
4. Put the egg whites into a bowl or electric mixer and beat until stiff and just starting to become dry. Start adding the sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture should be very thick and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract. This is the meringue mixture.
5. Spoon a sixth of the meringue mixture on top of each tart and use a knife to even up the mixture so there are no gaps. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until browned and starting to crack.
6. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Good with whipped cream.