• Pavlova with a rosé cherry sauce and caramel mascarpone

    Serves: 6 – 8
    Cooking Time: 1 hr 45 mins + 30 mins, to cool

    Ingredients

    • MERINGUE

    • 4 extra-large egg whites
    • 230g castor sugar
    • pinch sea salt
    • 5ml (1 tsp) white wine vinegar
    • 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
    • CHERRY SAUCE

    • 350g cherries, halved and pitted/cherry pulp from cherry and gin lemonade (add a few extra halved and pitted cherries to make up the 350g quantity)
    • 100g white sugar
    • 125ml (½ cup) rosé wine
    • seeds of 1 vanilla pod
    • zest of 1 lemon
    • MASCARPONE FILLING

    • 250g mascarpone, at room temperature
    • 1 x 368g tin Nestlé Caramel Treat
    • 250g cream cheese
    • 125ml (½ cup) fresh cream, whipped
    • TOPPING

    • 120g Maltesers, some halved
    • 100g fresh cherries
    • fresh mint leaves

    Instructions

    1

    For the meringue, preheat the oven to 110°C. Place the egg whites in a stand mixer bowl and whisk at medium speed until soft peaks form.

    2

    With the mixer still running, gradually add the castor sugar and add the pinch sea salt. Turn the mixer to the highest setting and beat, 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy. If it feels grainy, beat for a little bit longer. Fold in the vinegar and vanilla essence.

    3

    Line a baking tray with baking paper, using small dollops of meringue to hold the paper in place. Spoon the meringue into a disc, about 20cm in diameter, making a nest in the centre, and bake, 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meringue turns slightly golden, but remains soft inside. Turn off the oven and cool the Pavlova inside, with the door ajar, 1 hour.

    4

    For the cherry sauce, add the cherries or cherry pulp, white sugar and rosé to a pot and simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat, add the vanilla seeds and allow the sauce to simmer until slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the zest. Set aside until needed.

    5

    For the mascarpone filling, place the mascarpone in a bowl and stir very gently until smooth. In another bowl, stir the Caramel Treat until smooth. Mix the cream cheese into the Caramel Treat, followed by the whipped cream and fold in the mascarpone. Don’t over-mix to avoid the mascarpone from separating.

    6

    To assemble the Pavlova, place the meringue on a cake stand. Spread the mascarpone mixture over the meringue. Drizzle over the cherry sauce and top with Maltesers, fresh cherries and mint leaves.

    Notes

    When making meringue, the mixing bowl and whisk attachment must be scrupulously clean and dry.

    Imka Webb
    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com