Bienmesabe

Step 1: Simmer 3 ¼ cups tinned coconut milk, 7 oz sugar and 1 cinnamon stick in a heavy pan over a medium heat, stirring, until reduced by about a quarter, 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick.

Step 2: Whisk 6 egg yolks and 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) in a bowl, then slowly whisk in a ladle of the hot coconut milk.

Step 3: Pour back into the pan over a low heat and stir constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a line drawn through it, 5–7 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and cool.

Step 4: Briefly dip half the 7 oz sponge fingers (ladyfingers) in ¼ cup sweet wine or sweet sherry and lay them in a 20 × 25 cm dish. Spread with half the coconut cream.

Step 5: Repeat with the rest of the sponge fingers, ¼ cup sweet wine or sweet sherry and coconut cream. Chill while you make the meringue.

Step 6: Whisk 3 egg whites to soft peaks, then add 4 oz caster sugar a spoonful at a time and keep whisking until stiff and glossy, 5 minutes.

Step 7: Spread the meringue over the top in swirls. Toast lightly with a kitchen blowtorch or under a hot grill for 1 minute if you like, watching closely.

Step 8: Dust with 1 tsp ground cinnamon and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. A common mistake is serving it the same hour: it needs time for the sponge to soak and set into neat slices.