"This ticks all the boxes for me, as it appeals to my Middle Eastern tastebuds and is so light – it hardly feels like a treat at all! For colour, I sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top" says Catherine.
Ingredients
For the Meringue:
- 6 egg whites
- 350g caster sugar
- 3 tablespoons cold espresso
- 3 tablespoons chopped, toasted hazelnuts
For the Orange Syrup:
- 150ml orange juice
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot
For the Filling:
- 4 oranges, peeled and broken into segments
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- 4 cardamoms, seeds removed and crushed
- 10 small mint leaves
- 100g mascarpone
- 100g softly whipped cream
- Mint leaves, for decorating
- Edible flowers, for decorating (optional)
Method
"This ticks all the boxes for me, as it appeals to my Middle Eastern tastebuds and is so light – it hardly feels like a treat at all! For colour, I sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top" says Catherine.
- Draw a 25cm circle on a piece of parchment. Turn it over and place on a large baking tray.
- Pre-heat the oven to 120°C (fan 100°C, gas mark 2). Line 2 x 20cm spring-form tins with parchment.
- Whisk the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl until stiff. Add most of the sugar, a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is glossy and stiff. Carefully fold in the rest of the sugar. Fold in the coffee and hazelnut nuts.
- Spoon into a piping bag with a plain nozzle and pipe a round base, then add an edge or using a spatula, smooth over an oval shape in the meringue, leaving a dent in the centre for the filling.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, then switch off the oven and leave for at least 6 hours for the meringue to cool completely.
- To make the syrup, add the orange juice and sugar to a medium saucepan of a medium heat, place the arrowroot powder into a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons orange juice to the powder to form a smooth mix.
- Stir this rapidly into the hot orange and stir until it thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
- Combine the orange segments, orange liqueur, icing sugar, crushed cardamom seeds and the mint leaves in a bowl. Stir well and set aside.
- Combine the mascarpone and cream together.
- When you are ready to assemble, carefully peel off the parchment from the meringue and place it onto a cake stand. Spoon the mascarpone cream over the Pavlova. Using a slotted spoon arrange the orange segments over the top.
- Drizzle with orange syrup and decorate with mint leaves and edible flowers if you are using them.
Top Tip:
Make individual little Pavlovas – they look so pretty for dinner parties and so easy to assemble.
