Fig and pomegranate pavlova
Rebecca’s father Dave is the king of pavlovas and is so famed for them that they are regularly requested by friends and family. He even made a stack of pavlovas for Rebecca’s wedding day. If you don’t like pistachios, lightly toasted flaked almonds are just as good. You can also tweak the fruits to suit your tastes and the seasons. In summer, use strawberries, raspberries or roasted peaches. Blood oranges, passion fruit and mango are also great with clouds of sweet meringue. Or try cooked fruits, like poached cherries or frozen mixed berries simmered with a little sugar, to spoon over the pavlova when cool.
GET AHEAD You can make the meringue base a day or two in advance, but store it uncovered, or it will lose its crunch.
This recipe is from the ‘Ginger Pig Christmas Cook Book’, by Tim Wilson and Rebecca Seal.
Yield
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the meringue
For the topping
Step 1
Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric whisk until very firm. Starting spoonful by spoonful, add the sugar, whisking continuously. Once the sugar is all whisked in, and the meringue looks thick, smooth and glossy, add the vanilla extract and white wine vinegar and sprinkle over the cornflour. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl just in case any sugar has sunk. Whisk for 1 minute longer.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan oven 140°C/mark 2-3. Draw a 20cm circle on a piece of baking paper. Pour the meringue onto the paper and smooth out to fill the circle. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool – it will deflate a bit, but don’t worry.
Step 3
When ready to serve, whip the cream (if you have a powerful stand mixer, be careful not to overwhip it, or you’ll end up with lumpy cream – or butter). Spoon the cream over the meringue, then arrange the figs on top. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and pistachios, then drizzle over the pomegranate molasses, being careful not to get it on the meringue. Serve straight away.
