Strawberry Vanilla Cream Pavé with Meringue

Directions

1. 1

   Make the vanilla custard: dissolve the cornstarch in cold milk, then add the strained egg yolks, condensed milk, and vanilla sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and leave to cool completely.

2. 2

   Whip the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Work quickly — stop as soon as the cream holds its shape to avoid over-beating.

3. 3

   Spread a layer of vanilla custard over the bottom of a deep serving dish. Stand the wafer biscuits upright around the edges, trimming them to match the height of the dish. Scatter the remaining biscuits over the base.

4. 4

   Brush the orange juice lightly over the biscuit layer. Cover with half the sliced strawberries, scatter the meringue cookies on top, add the remaining strawberries, then pour the rest of the vanilla custard over everything.

5. 5

   Spread the whipped cream over the surface, decorate with white chocolate sprinkles and whole strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.