Brigitte's Fruit Salad

This is fruit salad dressed up for a night out.

Apples, oranges, bananas, mandarin segments, and cherries get arranged in individual ovenproof dishes with sliced almonds and a splash of rum.

Then stiff, sugary meringue gets heaped on top and the whole thing goes under the broiler until the peaks turn golden and toasty.

What comes out is half fruit salad, half baked Alaska. Warm fruit underneath, crispy-soft meringue on top, and that little hit of rum tying everything together.

It’s the kind of dessert that takes 20 minutes but looks like you spent an hour.

Kitchen Tips

• Beat the egg whites until they’re so stiff you can hold the bowl upside down without anything moving. Soft peaks will deflate under the broiler.
• Watch the meringue like a hawk under the broiler. It can go from golden to charred in under a minute. Keep the oven door cracked.
• Use whatever fruit is in season. Pears, peaches, and berries all work beautifully in place of (or alongside) the apples and bananas.
• A kitchen torch gives you more control than the broiler if you have one. Sweep it across the meringue peaks for that caramelized finish.