Damson and Hazelnut Pavlova
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Servings
8
Prep Time
50 minutes
Cook Time
105 minutes
Who needs the Sugar Plum fairy when you can make this showstopping damson and hazelnut pavlova. The meringue is baked in the shape of a ballet dancer’s tutu with a crisp exterior and marshmallowy centre. On top, pillowy whipped cream rippled with Tiptree’s tangy Damson Conserve and seasonal fruits turn this into an impressive autumn dessert.
Ingredients
For the meringue
- 150g room temperature free range egg whites (from around 5 medium eggs or 4 large eggs)
- 300g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp white wine or cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 25g hazelnuts, chopped into fine pieces
For decoration
- 300ml whipping or double cream
-
150g Tiptree Damson Conserve plus extra for drizzling
- 2 ripe figs, sliced
- 2 ripe plums, stoned and sliced
- Edible flowers (optional)
Directions
Make the Meringue
Preheat the oven to 140°C / 120°C Fan / Gas mark 1
- Weigh the egg whites in a mixer bowl making sure the bowl is free of grease.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer whisk on a slow speed for one minute until small bubbles form then increase the speed to medium until the egg whites are at the stiff peak stage. This means you can tip the bowl upside down without the mixture falling out.
- Start mixing at full speed and add one large tablespoon of sugar after another to the meringue mixture ensuring that it comes back to the stiff peak stage after each spoonful.
- Once you have added all the sugar continue to whisk on full speed for about five minutes. Take a piece of the mixture and feel it between your fingers and if you can still feel coarse sugar grains keep whisking at full speed until the sugar has dissolved and you have a glossy voluminous mixture.
- Dissolve the cornflour in the vinegar and vanilla extract, drizzle
over the meringue and fold in gently. The meringue is ready when it forms a
nice peak on the tip of your whisk as you pull it out.
Shape the meringue
- Draw a 6” diameter circle outline on a piece of parchment paper. Find a suitable plate to help you draw round.
- Turn the paper over and attach it to the baking tray using a dab of meringue mixture on each corner to stick it down.
- Using the circle as a guide pile up the meringue mix mixture into a dome shape.
- Using a large pallet knife smooth the mound then sweep upwards around the dome to create a tutu shape. Hollow out an indentation on the top of the meringue where the cream and fruit will sit.
- Sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake for 60 minutes until the meringue darkens slightly then reduce the heat to 130°C / 110°C Fan / Gas mark ½ and bake for a further 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the meringue cool in the oven for at least 1 hour. Do not open the oven door.
- The inside of the meringue will be soft and marshmallowy but not wet. Don’t worry if the outer shell cracks, its all part of its charm.
Assemble the Pavlova
- Gently swirl the Damson Conserve into the cream with a large spatula to get a ripple effect.
- Pile the cream on top of the meringue and in the hollow inside. Drizzle more Damson Conserve around the edges of the pavlova. Save any extra damson cream for serving.
- Arrange the sliced fruits on top of the cream and garnish with
edible flowers.
Additional Information
If you refrigerate the pavlova for an hour before serving it will be easier to cut. The meringue tutu can be made 24 hrs in advance and stored in an airtight tin. Do not add the cream and fruit though until just before serving. The filled pavlova will keep in the fridge, covered loosely with cling film, for 24 hours, but the meringue will start to soften.
