Blackberry Pavlova with Mascarpone Cream & Figs

Serves: 8–10

Prep: 30 minutes

Cooking: about 1½ hours, plus cooling

Ingredients

Pavlova

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1½ cups (330 g) caster sugar
• ¾ tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• Purple food colouring, as needed (please note this cannot be oil based or the meringue will flop)

Blackberry Coulis

• 1 cup (150 g) blackberries - if not in season, you can use blueberries or frozen.
• ¼ cup (55 g) caster sugar
• Juice of ½ lemon

Mascarpone cream

• 300 ml thickened cream
• 200ml mascarpone cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To Decorate

• Fresh figs
• Fresh blackberries
• Optional edible flowers

Method

1. To make the pavlova, preheat oven to 120°C/100°C fan-forced. Trace the shape of a circle using a 16cm plate. Place paper, marked-side down.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or an electric hand whisk, whisk egg whites and a pinch of fine salt on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until just foaming. Gradually add the sugar, whisking until sugar is completely dissolved after each addition.
3. Continue whisking until medium-firm peaks form and all the sugar is completely dissolved (when you rub mixture between your fingers, you shouldn’t feel any grains). Add vinegar and cornflour and whisk until just combined. Add colouring and whisk until you get your desired shade (approx 6 drop of water based purple or a mix of blue and red). Spoon half the meringue mixture onto the prepared tray and form a mound, making sure it’s spread within the 16cm circle. Then spoon the remaining meringue into a piping bag fitted with a wide ribbon nozzle and, using the grooved side of the nozzle in an up motion, pipe ribbons of meringue all around the mound.
4. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until meringue is crisp on the outside but not browned. Turn off oven and leave pavlova to cool completely in the oven with the door closed. If you can leave overnight, even better!
5. Make the coulis in a small saucepan. Combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until fruit is soft and liquid is syrupy. Set aside to cool, then strain through a fine sieve into a jug, discarding large solids.
6. Place cream in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks. Fit a clean piping bag with the cleaned ribbon nozzle and smear a little coulis along one side of the bag inside. Add the cream to piping bag being careful not to mix too much with the cream.
7. To assemble, place meringue on a serving platter, very carefully so you don’t crack the shell. Using the plain side of the nozzle, pipe over the cream, then top cream with figs and blackberries.

Serve immediately with remaining coulis alongside.