#pavlovas

Cakes and fruity pavlovas are two of my favorite desserts.

They might not be the prettiest pavlovas, but heck damnit if they weren't tasty.

Pretty Pavlovas ❤️

The inspiration for our Christmas Lunch pavs was The Nutcracker, and so I’ve called them Sugar Plum Fairy Pavlovas!!! Happy Christmas, friends! I hope you have a good one!!

Ingredients (serves 2):

For the chocolate swirl meringue

60 grams/2 ounces good quality dark chocolate (at least 65% cocoa)

3 large eggs whites

½ cup caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the plum-ginger syrup cream

½ plump vanilla bean, split lenthwise

½ cup double cream

2 tablespoons Orange Syrup

2 tablespoons Ginger Syrup

2 large fresh figs, rinsed

Plums in Orange Syrup

1/3 cup Sugared Cranberries

Using a saucer, draw two circles on baking paper and line a baking tray with it. Preheat oven to 110°C/230°F.

In a medium bowl over simmering water, melt dark chocolate, until smooth, shiny and silky. Remove from heat, and stir it with a spatula, to help chocolate cool. Set aside.

Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, and beat on high speed for about 5 minutes (whites must not be too stiff). While still beating, add caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until all is incorporated. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch and apple cider vinegar until well-blended. Add to the egg whites. They now must be beautifully glossy and stiff.

Once the melted chocolate is cooled, fold into the meringue to create a marble effect.

Spoon the chocolate swirl meringue onto parchment paper, spreading it evenly in the drawn circles (keep it into the lines, as the meringues will spread a bit while cooking), shaping it into a sort of a wreath, with a hollow centre and thick enough edges.

Place on the middle shelf of the preheated oven, and bake meringues at 110°C/230°F, for 1 hour and a half. When cooked, you should be able to lift it easily from the parchment paper. Leave in the oven, until completely cooled, about an hour.

Scrape seeds off the vanilla bean and into a medium bowl. Pour in the double cream, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in Ginger Syrup until stiff peaks just form.

Before serving, gently place a meringue onto each serving plate. Spoon Plum-ginger whipped cream in the middle of each meringue. Cut figs into quarters. Arrange fig quarters into the cream. Top with  Plums in Orange Syrup and Sugared Cranberries liberally on top.