• Bake the meringues (day before needed for ease of preparation).
• Place 1 meringue on a plate and top with cream, cherries and chocolate sauce.
• Top with another meringue and dust with cocoa powder.
• Finish with more chocolate sauce and cherries.

Chocolate Meringues

• Preheat an oven to 285° F/140° C.
•  Whisk the egg whites and salt on high-speed until frothy.
• Add the cornflour and sugar gradually (1-2 Tbspns at a time)  and continue whisking.
• When the egg whites form stiff peaks (about 10-15 minutes), gently fold in the cocoa powder.
• Pipe the meringue into 12 rounds on to a parchment-lined baking tray
• Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, switch off the oven, and leave them to cool inside the oven with the door slightly open for 15 minutes.

For success in cooking meringue, make sure that mixing bowl and whisk is spotless and there is absolutely no egg yolk in the whites as any grease inhibits the meringue forming.