Mini rose and raspberry pavlovas

Makes 12 mini pavlovas Desserts and puddings

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Method

Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and preheat the oven to 110C/90C F/Gas ¼. Spread the sugar on another baking tray and place in the oven to warm through as the oven heats – 4 minutes should be enough.

Take 7g of the freeze-dried raspberries and roughly crush into a small bowl. Put the remainder in a mini processor and grind to a fine powder.

Put the egg whites in a large bowl with the cream of tartar. Using hand-held electric beaters, whisk until firm and the beaters leave a pattern in the foam. Sift the warm sugar into a bowl and gradually add to the egg whites, whisking constantly until stiff and glossy. Dab a little of the meringue left on the beaters on to the four corners of the prepared baking tray to secure the baking paper.

Mix the cornflour and icing sugar together in a bowl and sift over the meringue. Using a large metal spoon, very gently fold it in. Add the rosewater and gently fold in, followed by half the lightly crushed raspberries. Fold in the remainder (the mixture shouldn’t turn pink). Using two dessertspoons make 12 heaps of the meringue on the lined baking sheet. Dust with a little of the raspberry powder (around 2g) and put in the oven.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the tray and, if the meringues loosen cleanly from the paper, turn the tray around and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes. If they don’t lift off the paper easily give them a little longer before turning. Once cooked, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

While the meringues are in the oven, cook the raspberries, ready to serve. Place the berries in a small pan along with the icing sugar and rosewater. After about a minute or as soon as they are hot, remove from the heat and stir (they just need to break down a little). Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

To make the filling, put the cream in a bowl and add the icing sugar and a little of the rosewater, tasting before you add more. Whisk until just floppy but holding a shape.

Sandwich 2 meringues together with the cream, repeating with all 12, and dust the pavlovas with the remaining ground dried raspberries. Serve with small bowls of the cold cooked raspberries.

This recipe was taken from the August/September 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.