Annie Bell's Baked Floating Islands with Cherries

For that little corner of your heart that is forever red. All in time for cherry day on Saturday...

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   1. For the floating islands, have ready a 23cm brownie tin about 4cm deep (or equivalent) and some baking paper. Preheat the oven to 150C/130C fan/300F/gas 2.
   2. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they begin to stiffen. Whisk in the caster sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, whisking well between each addition. Whisk in the cornflour and vinegar to give a very stiff, glossy meringue.
   3. Rinse the inside of the brownie tin, line the base with baking paper and rinse it again.
   4. Spoon the meringue mixture into the tin and smooth the surface. Cover the tin with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave the foil in place and set aside to cool.
   5. Turn the oven up to 190C/170C fan/375F/gas 5. Place the cherries in an ovenproof bowl, sprinkle with the sugar and pour over 3 tbsp of the kirsch or brandy. Cover with foil and cook for 1 hour, stirring halfway through.
   6. Meanwhile, finish the meringue. Heat the grill. Remove the foil, run a knife around the edge of the tin and turn the meringue out on to a baking tray or into a dish. Peel off the paper, liberally dust the meringue with icing sugar and pop under the grill until the sugar caramelises (this happens very quickly, so watch carefully to avoid burning).
   7. When the cherries are done, strain the juices into a small saucepan and simmer to reduce by about half until you have a rich syrup. Stir in the remaining kirsch or brandy and a squeeze of lemon juice, and pour back over the cherries. You can serve these warm or at room temperature.
   8. Serve the meringue cut into thick slices, squares or diamonds, with the cherries and syrup spooned over and around, and some crème fraîche on top.