It’s Easter, so of course I’ve chocolate on my mind. Easter means different things to different people – a symbolic time of new birth; a cause for religious praise; the heart of spring. And then, of course, there’s the Easter egg.

All the chocolate around at Easter time can get a bit much, so today I’m offering a recipe that allows you to enjoy a light taste of chocolate alongside that British classic: strawberries and cream. It’s the perfect aphrodisiac recipe for a bank holiday weekend. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

Punnet of fresh strawberries

Carton of single cream

Egg whites from 4 medium-sized eggs

225g caster sugar

25g cocoa powder – I like to use Green and Blacks organic

A small milk chocolate bar, grated (or crumble a Cadbury’s flake)

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 1 or 140 degrees C.

1. Prepare two baking sheets lined with greaseproof paper.
2. In a clean bowl, use an electric whisk on the egg whites until they’re stiff and form peaks when you pull out the whisk.
3. Add a quarter of the sugar, and whisk.
4. Continue to add the sugar, gradually, until the mixture is glossy, smooth and stiff.
5. Sieve the cocoa powder over the mixture, and whisk again.
6. Fold in the grated or crumbled chocolate gently.
7. Spoon dollops onto the baking sheets – I usually do 12 to 16, but you may do larger ones or smaller if you prefer.
8. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes until they’re solid on the outside but a little gooey still inside (if you prefer a more solid meringue, try them after an hour).
9. Serve in glass dishes with washed and hulled strawberries and cream, to taste.

Variations: Break up the meringues and create an Eton Mess kind of dessert, mixing up the strawberries and meringue pieces with thick cream or ice cream. Or chop up the strawberries and add to whisked double cream and use as a filler between sandwiched meringues.