Soft Meringue Pavlova with Berries Ingredients: For the meringue »» 6 egg whites, at room temperature »»
200 g Caster Sugar
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150 g Icing Sugar
»» 2 sachets powdered Vanilla Essence »» a squeeze of lemon (few drops) or 1/4 tsp cream of tartar For Raspberry Coulis
For the Mixed Berries Topping »»
1/4 cup Raspberries
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1/4 cup strawberries, quartered
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1/4 cup blackberries
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2 tbsp red currents
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Zest of 1 orange
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zest of 1/2 lime
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4 tbsp Caster sugar
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1/2 tbsp lemon juice
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1/2 tsp Dried mint Leaves
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10 fresh mint leaves, Chiffonade
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250g Fresh Raspberries
»» 2 turns of the mil, fresh black pepper
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2 tbsp Caster Sugar
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Vanilla Ice Cream for serving
Method 1. Start by making the Soft Meringue, Preheat your oven to 120F and line baking sheets with baking paper. Place the egg whites with a squeeze of lemon in the bowl of your electric mixer or a bowl and mix on medium using the wire attachment, or whisk until the egg whites start to thicken and become white. 2. In the meantime, mix the caster sugar and vanilla essence together. Add the caster sugar a little at a time to the beating egg whites, mixing well after each addition. Continue to beat until you reach a medium consistency (between stiff and soft peeks, check out instructions on ‘Understanding Meringue’ post). The Meringue should be pure white and shiny. 3. Gently fold in the sifted icing sugar. 4. Place large dollops of Meringue onto the lined baking sheets, sprinkle lightly with icing sugar and bake for 3 hours. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then place in an airtight container until ready to use. If you want your meringue to be slightly stiffer, turn off the oven, and leave the meringues inside for an extra hour. 5. Prepare the Mixed Berries Topping by placing all the ingredients in a large bowl and mixing to coat. Leave to set for 1 hour at room temperature, then mix again and refrigerate until ready to use. 6. For the Raspberry Coulis, place the raspberries together with the caster sugar in the blender and blend to incorporate. Push the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Discard the seeds and refrigerate the coulis until ready to use.
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7. To serve, Swirl some raspberry coulis at the bottom of your plate, place a piece of Meringue in the centre, top with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream then with the mixed berries. Drizzle slightly with more coulis. Serve immediately.