Pomegranate Pavlova
This delicious meringue, flavoured with toasted hazelnuts, has the texture and flavour of Italian nougat. Topped with orange-infused mascarpone and decorated with roasted seasonal fruits and pomegranate seeds, it’s the perfect festive dessert from Poppin’ Poms.
Preparation Time: 20min
Cooking Time: 60min
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 50g chopped blanched hazelnuts
- 4 egg whites
- 280g caster sugar
- 1tsp cream of tartar
- 3 figs
- 1/3 punnet red grapes
- 2 clementines, cut into wedges
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 star anise
- 2tbsp light brown sugar
- 250g mascarpone
- 1tbsp icing sugar
- 1tsp vanilla essence or paste
- Grated zest 1 clementine
- 100g pomegranate seeds
To Make:
- Preheat the oven to 140°C/fan 120°C/gas 1. Place the hazelnuts in a roasting tin and toast for 10min until golden. Chop roughly.
- Place the egg whites in a large clean bowl and whisk until frothy. Slowly, whisking all the time, add the sugar a tablespoon at a time until you end up with a thick, glossy meringue. Fold in the cream of tartar and the chopped hazelnuts.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Draw a circle measuring about 21cm and then a smaller circle in the middle measuring 6cm to create a wreath shape. Spoon the meringue onto the wreath circle, piling it up to create peaks. Bake for 1 hour in the oven and then turn off the heat and allow to cool completely in the oven.
- When ready to decorate, remove the meringue wreath from the oven and turn the heat back up to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Arrange the fruit in a roasting tin with the cinnamon and star anise and brown sugar and roast for 15min.
- Meanwhile, mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar and clementine zest and spoon over the meringue wreath. Top with the roasted fruits and finish with a generous sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.
