Poaching whole pears in champagne allows the flavour of the wine to seep into the flesh of the fruit, so use the best quality champagne that you can afford.
It is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. Raspberry meringues with rosewater cream. Spoon meringue onto baking-paper-lined tray into 12 free-form shapes about 5cm (2 inches) apart. Bake in very slow oven until meringues feel dry to touch. Note
Crisp and flaky French pastries, palmiers are so-named because they are folded and shaped to resemble the leafy arc formed by palm tree branches. Honey, pistachio and rosewater add a touch of the Middle East to these quintessentially French pastries.