The mini pavlovas are easy to make and store well in an airtight tin for several days. When it comes to serving they are basically an assembly job and people will think you've spent hours making them.
When it came to buying the fruit, passion fruit suddenly seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth! Such is my luck sometimes.
Anyway, after lots of frustration I managed to hunt a couple down.
I served the pavlovas with Green & Blacks Mint Leaves, the leaves were put on purely for decorative purposes, but much to my surprise, this unexpected combination of flavours worked really well.
These were supposed to be bite sized, but somehow when I made them, they were three bites size.
CANAPES - Eric Treuille & Victoria Blashford-Snell
ISBN 14053051344 - Page 56
Makes: 20
To Make the Pavlovas:
Preheat the Oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2 egg whites at room temperature, 125g caster sugar, ½ tsp vanilla essence
1. Put the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and whisk until the meringue holds soft peaks.
2. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Continue whisking until the whites are stiff and glossy.
3. Fold in the vanilla essence with a rubber spatula.
4. Use the tip of two teaspoons to place small walnut-sized spoonfuls of meringue 2.5cm apart, on to baking parchment lined baking sheets.
5. Make an indent in the centre of each mini meringue with the back of one teaspoon.
6. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 120°C/250°F/Gas 1/2. Continue baking until firm to the touch, 20 minutes.
7. I left them to cool in the oven overnight before removing them from the baking sheet and storing in an airtight tin.
To Assemble:
75ml whipping cream, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, 1 kiwi, 2 halved passion fruit, 20 raspberries, 2 teaspoons icing sugar for dusting.
1. Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of caster sugar.
2. Cut the peeled kiwi in half and cut each half into 5 slices. Cut each slice in half.
3. Scoop out pulp from passion fruit halves.
4. Top each pavlova with 1 teaspoon cream.
5. Arrange a half kiwi slice and a raspberry on top.
6. Spoon over passion fruit and dust with icing sugar.