Ingredients

• 8 medium free-range egg whites
• pinch salt
• 400g/14oz caster sugar
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 4 tsp cornflour
• 900ml/1½ pint double cream
• 2 heaped tbsp icing sugar
• 10-15 ripe passion fruits
• halved and seeds scooped out
• 4 unwaxed lemons
• zest and juice only
• 200g/7oz caster sugar
• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
• cubed
• 3 medium free-range eggs
• plus 1 medium free-range egg yolk
• 1 lemon
• zest only
• limoncello liqueur
• to serve (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 150C/140C Fan/Gas 2.
• Draw a 20cm/8in circle on three pieces of baking parchment and put each piece on a separate baking tray.
• In a very clean bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt using a hand-held mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the sugar a tablespoon at a time. When all the sugar is incorporated continue to whisk for a further minute. Add the vinegar and cornflour and then beat at a high speed until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks when the whisk is removed (this will take about 5 minutes).
• Divide the mixture equally between the circles on the three baking trays. One of the discs will be used to top the tier
• so should look especially nice!
• Bake until the meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch
• about 1-1¼ hour (the insides will still be marshmallow-like).
• Switch off the oven and leave the meringues to cool down in the oven
• leaving the oven door slightly open. Leave the meringues to cool very slowly in the oven.
• For the filling
• whip the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Gently stir through the passion fruit flesh.
• For the lemon curd
• put the lemon zest
• lemon juice
• sugar and butter in a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water
• making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and again until the butter has melted. Remove the bowl from the heat.
• In a separate bowl
• lightly whisk the eggs and egg yolk. Gently stir them into the lemon mixture
• then whisk until all the ingredients are well combined.
• Put the bowl back over the simmering water. Heat the lemon curd for 10-13 minutes
• stirring every now and again
• until the mixture is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the lemon curd from the heat and set aside to cool
• stirring occasionally. It will thicken as it cools.
• To assemble
• top a disc of meringue with a third of the passion fruit cream and a drizzle of the lemon curd. Repeat with the other two meringue discs to make a three-tiered stack. Decorate the top with more lemon curd and the grated lemon zest. Serve with a shot of limoncello
• if using.