For the crème anglaise,

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and the vanilla bean (if using) until just below boiling with half the sugar. 3. If using vanilla extract, add it later with the egg yolks. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the other half of the sugar until pale and thick.

Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and reaches 84c. Do not let it boil.

Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.

For the meringues:

Place the egg whites in a clean, dry mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peak, about 2-3 minutes.

Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat the egg whites. Continue beating until the egg whites are firm and glossy, another 2-3 minutes. It will look light but strong, like shaving foam. If you whip too much, the mixture will become unstable and start to breakdown.

Pre-heat oven to 160c fan and boil the kettle. Mound the egg whites into a lined tin, or freeform on tray lined with paper or silpat - you can either use a tray or a cake base but bear in mind they will expand slightly. If you go free form, you can really go wild with the shape! You can make it as tall and dramatic as you like, though very tall shapes may need 1 minute extra baking. Alternatively, spoon or pipe into your mould - it will remove cleanly leaving a perfect shape of meringue. Repeat until all meringue is finished.

If using a mould, place into a large high-sided tray then fill up to half way up the mould with boiling water to make a bain-marie. For freeform, place the tray of boiling water on a shelf underneath or on the bottom of your oven to create a steamy environment.

Bake the larger meringue for 8-10 minutes or until it has puffed up is lightly browned, and is firm and dry to the touch. For the small meringues, bake for 3 minutes, turn then another 1 minutes, or until dry. Leave to cool.

To steam: Steam large meringues gently for 6 minutes or until slightly puffed and dry, and small meringues for 2-3 minutes.

Once cooled, you can divide the large meringue into portions and, if desired, remove the browned edge, for a more dramatic look. Use a very sharp, non serrated knife for the cleanest slices, wiping inbetween cuts

To make the optional crunchy caramel topping, in a saucepan, add the sugar and water (i) and mix until it looks like wet sand. Heat the mixture over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir) until the sugar dissolves and starts to caramelise. Remove from the heat when it is pale golden. Spoon the hot caramel - careful, it will set quickly, onto the meringues and spread gently. It’s okay if a little drips down the sides. Leave to set.

To serve, pour the chilled crème anglaise into serving bowls. Gently place the meringues on top, either in individual portions or a large size. Drizzle or crumb over your toppings, like the caramel sauce and praline below

Caramel sauce.

Make a wet caramel Mix the sugar and water (i) in a medium saucepan until it looks like wet sand. Heat over a medium heat, not stirring, until it begins to caramelise. Turn the heat down and cook until the desired colour is reached. I like dark amber. Turn off the heat. Whisk in the water or cream a little at a time. It will bubble aggressively. Pour into a clean container and leave to cool. You may need to rewarm the sauce made with cream and it can set quite thick due to the fat content.

Almond praline

In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and mix until it looks like wet sand. Heat the mixture over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir) until the sugar dissolves and starts to caramelise. Continue to cook until the caramel turns a deep amber colour. Quickly add the toasted almonds to the caramel and stir with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to coat the almonds evenly with the caramel. Immediately pour the almond-caramel mixture onto a silpat or paper-lined baking tray. Leave to coolt then break the praline into pieces or blitz into a crumb.