LIFESTYLE-Magazine-Winter-2016

Chocolate cherry pavlova

Method • Begin by macerating (soening) 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 170°C and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Whisk the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl or stand mixer until so peaks form, then, without stopping whisking, gradually add the sugar, a lile 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 li the meringues and parchment onto wire racks to cool. Peel the parchment from the meringues and then, using a wide palate knife carefully li on onto a serving plaer or cake stand. • Whip the cream to just so peaks, being very careful not to over whip, 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 boom layer of meringue, top with the other disc of meringue, the remaining creammix and then the leover cherries. Grate over the dark chocolate and serve. This is, in my opinion, even beer the day aer so feel free to make it ahead and refrigerate.

Ingredients • 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 Filling/topping

• 450ml double cream • 500g cherries, pied

• 1 glass marsala or cherry liqueur • 10g dark chocolate, for grating

Below: Dinner party pavlova with cherries on top!

a swirl of chocolate and hazelnut meringue

Recipes courtesy of @britishberries

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