Mango-Passionfruit Pavlova

-Serves 8
Sweet, crisp meringue with marshmallowy center topped with chilled whipped cream, tangy passion fruit pulp, and sweet seasonal mangoes - my mango-passion fruit Pavlova is the love of my life! The best part of this impressive looking dessert is that you can prepare the meringue ahead of time and wow your guests by assembling it right in front of them, just before serving. Now, how does that sound for a party 😃

Ingredients for Mango-Passionfruit Pavlova

6 eggs whites
pinch of salt
360g caster sugar 
2 teaspoons corn flour
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
300ml double cream, chilled
6 passion fruits, halved and flesh removed
2 large mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced 
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

Recipe
  1. Separate the egg whites from yolks while the eggs are still cold as they will be easier to separate. Cover and set aside egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl, at room temperature for about 30 minutes, before whipping. Room temperature egg whites yield stiffer meringues. 
  2. Before you begin, make sure to weigh the egg whites and caster sugar. The weight of sugar should be exactly double the weight of egg whites.
  3. Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Draw a 20cm circle using a pencil and flip the sheet over.
  4. Place the egg whites in a large, clean, grease-free bowl; add a pinch of salt. Using an electric whisk, whisk until stiff peaks form. DO NOT add sugar before the egg whites are stiff, or your meringue will be soft.
  5. Next, adding a tablespoon of sugar at a time, continue to whisk until very stiff and glossy. Don’t rush this step and add the sugar gradually or your meringue will be soft.
  6. Once stiff and glossy, whisk in cornflour and vinegar. These add a softer, chewier texture and also prevent the egg whites from collapsing.
  7. Spoon the mixture in a mound inside the circle of your parchment paper, then spread it out evenly to the guideline, using a spatula or palette knife.
  8. Bake for 5 minutes at 180ºC, then reduce the heat to 130ºC and continue to bake for another 75 minutes until crisp and dry. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue to cool inside the oven.
  9. Leave the meringue to cool completely in the oven before taking it out, thus preventing a sudden change in temperature and causing it to crack or collapse. Store cooled meringue in an airtight container until ready to serve.
  10. Place your mixing bowl and electric whisk in the freezer or refrigerator to chill. Whisk cold whipping cream in the chilled bowl using the chilled electric whisk, until stiff. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  11. Before serving, top the pavlova with whipped cream, creating small dents to hold passion fruit pulp. 
  12. Spoon passion fruit pulp all over whipped cream, top with sliced mango and chopped pistachios. Serve immediately.
​Note: Avoid making meringue on very humid days. The sugar in the delicate egg-white mixture readily absorbs moisture from the air, which makes it soft and impossible to achieve thick, stiff peaks. Humidity may also cause some soft meringues to weep or crisp meringues to soften once baked.
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