Strawberry jam mousse with shortbread

Method

1. For the mousse: whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until it thickens, also to stiff peaks. Stir the jam into the cream. Using a large metal spoon, fold the cream mixture into the egg whites, put the mixture into 4 individual pots and place into the fridge to set, for 2-3 hours.

4. For the shortbread: preheat the oven to 180C/gas. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale. Stir in the flour, jam and salt to make a smooth paste.

5. Turn out onto a clean lightly floured work surface and gently roll out (using your hands) until the paste is about 1cm thick - take care not to overwork the dough as this will make the shortbread tough. Put the dough on a tray and chill for 5 minutes in the fridge.

6. Slice the dough into fingers about 1cm deep and 5cm long and then place onto a greased baking tray and cook for about 10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Cool on a wire rack.

8. For the poached strawberries: put the water and sugar into a saucepan, bring to the boil, add the strawberries and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes, until just softened. Remove the strawberries from the pan with a slotted spoon.

9. To serve, place each pot of mousse at one end of each of four long rectangular serving plates. Scatter the poached strawberries (if using) around each pot. Stack the shortbread at the other end and serve.