insideKENT Magazine Issue 53 - August 2016 | Page 62
FOOD+DRINK
SUMMER RECIPES cont.
Chocolate Cherry Pavlova
Recipe: Rosie Birkitt
Serves 8-10
• 100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• 4 medium egg whites
• 220g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 100g skinned, roasted hazelnuts, roughly
chopped
For the filling/topping
• 450ml double cream
• 500g cherries, pitted
• 1 glass marsala or cherry liqueur
• 10g dark chocolate, for grating
Begin by macerating your cherries. Place them
in a bowl and cover with the marsala, toss them
through the wine until they are thoroughly coated
and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 170ºC and line two baking
sheets with baking parchment. Whisk the egg
whites in a spotlessly clean bowl or stand mixer
until soft peaks form, then, without stopping
whisking, gradually add the sugar, a little at a
time, whisking constantly until thick and glossy.
Whisk in the vinegar. Pour the melted chocolate
down the sides of the bowl, turning the bowl to
distribute it evenly, and then fold it through with
the nuts, until the meringue is marbled with
chocolate.
Spread a circle of the chocolate and hazelnut
meringue – about 20-25cm diameter on each
baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes (don’t
worry if it cracks, it will still taste delicious), until
they peel away easily from the parchment.
Remove from the oven and carefully lift the
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meringues and parchment onto wire racks to
cool. Peel the parchment from the meringues
and then, using a wide palate knife carefully lift
on onto a serving platter or cake stand.
Whip the cream to just soft peaks, being very
careful not to overwhip, and then drain the marsala
from the cherries into the cream and fold through,
along with half of the cherries. Spread just over
half of the mix on the bottom layer of meringue,
top with the other disc of meringue, the remaining
cream mix and then the leftover cherries. Grate
over the dark chocolate and serve. This is, in my
opinion, even better the day after so feel free to
make it ahead and refrigerate.