Mango Pavlova

A delicate meringue-based dessert, the Pavlova. It's crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. One bite of the pavlova, and you'll be transported to heaven. Traditionally served with whipped cream and fresh fruits, I do mine with a sweet tarty mango curd that brings a wholesome flavour to the dessert. Whatever you serve your pavlova with will always remain the show's star.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Pavlova

3 Eggs whites

¾ cup Granulated sugar

1 tbsp Vanilla extract

1 tbsp Cornflour

¼ tsp Cream of Tartar

Mango Curd

¾ cup Mango puree

3 Egg yolks

⅓ cup Castor sugar

2 tsp Lemon juice

100g unsalted Butter cubed

5-6 Strawberries

7-8 Blueberries

2 tbsp Orange zest

Method

Step 1 - Pavlova

Preheat the oven to 110°c. Line a baking tray with parchment paper—separate egg yolks from egg whites. In a large bowl on medium speed, beat egg whites till soft peaks. Then, add the sugar 1 Tbsp at a time and beat it until it dissolves.

Step 2

Once all the sugar is added, beat till stiff peaks. Scarpe down the bowl and add vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds. Then add cornflour and cream of tartar, and beat for another 30 seconds on high.

Step 3

Then with a rubber spatula or a piping bag, start spreading the meringue on the baking tray, forming a 4-inch circle, making a slight dip in the centre.

Step 4

Now place the tray in the last rack of the oven. Place another tray on the first rack so there's no direct light on the pavlova—Bake for 1 hr 15 mins. And let the pavlova rest in the oven for a minimum of 2 hrs or overnight to prevent cracking.

Step 5- Mango Curd

Take three egg yolks, mango puree, sugar and butter in a bowl. Whisk everything together till the butter is partially mixed. Then add to a saucepan and place on medium heat.

Step 6

Whisk constantly for 3-5 minutes or till the butter is fully incorporated. Then let it cook for another minute. If the curd coats the back of a spoon, take it off heat; otherwise, cook for another 1-2 minutes. Then take off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.

Step 7 - Assembly

Take the pavlova out of the oven. Carefully lift it from the parchment paper and place it on a plate. Now start adding the mango curd, strawberries, and blueberries on top of the pavlova, sprinkle orange zest and serve.

Tips

1. Make sure no yolk leaks into the egg whites during separation.

2. Don't dump a lot of sugar at once in the egg whites; it might deflate the meringue.

3. Once stiff peaks are achieved, make sure not to overbeat the meringue.

4. You can flip your bowl to check if your meringue is ready, it should hold its structure, and nothing should fall off.

5. Make sure that the meringue is on the bottom shelf in the oven.

6. Let the pavlova rest in the oven as much as possible to prevent cracking.

7. Strain the mango puree before adding if you think there are strands of flesh left.

8. Add chilled butter to the curd and partially whisk it before cooking the curd.

9. While cooking, the curd whisking is essential to prevent yolks from scrambling and to avoid lumps.

10. While assembling, be gentle with the pavlova and don't add more fruits than required as it might collapse the roof.

11. Check out my vanilla pavlova recipe https://www.iriswritesrecipes.com/post/vanilla-pavlova