Meringues/ Pavlovas

(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)

Raspberry & Pomegranate Roulade

Any roulade is a favourite dessert of mine, however, this one is particularly good! The cream filling is cut with Greek yoghurt, in addition there’s the fresh zing from lemon zest and the tartness of raspberries and pomegranate seeds. With added ground almonds, the meringue roulade is slightly more cake-like but still very light. Like all roulades this is best eaten fresh! (Thank you to Yasmin Khan and her cookbook ‘Ripe Figs’ for this recipe!).

4 large egg whites

225g caster sugar

50g ground almonds

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornflour

For the filling:

350ml double cream

160g strained full-fat Greek-style yogurt

Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons icing sugar, plus more to dust

100g raspberries

130g pomegranate seeds

For the topping:

1-2 tablespoons shelled, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

*You will need a 30x20cm Swiss roll tin, lined with baking parchment (alternatively you could draw a rectangle, 30x20cm, on piece of baking parchment placed on a baking tray).

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar, whisking in a few tablespoons at a time until it has all been used up and you have stiff, glossy meringue. Gently fold in the almonds lemon juice and cornflour.
Spoon the meringue into the prepared tin and use a spatula to smooth out.
Bake in a preheated oven, 150’c fan, for 30 minutes, until firm on top and slightly golden.
Meanwhile tear off another piece of baking parchment of the same size and lay it on a clean work surface – you’ll need this to roll the meringue when it’s cooked.
Whisk the cream, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and icing sugar in a bowl to a thick cream. Place half the berries in a bowl and use a fork to mash, to create pools of juice.
When the meringue is cooked, turn it out onto the fresh piece of baking parchment you prepared earlier. Gently peel off the parchment from the base of the meringue and leave to completely cool (this will take about 10 minutes).
When the meringue is cold, spoon the cream over it, reserving a couple of tablespoons for decoration. Sprinkle over most of the pomegranate seeds, reserving 2 spoonfuls for decoration, and scatter over the whole raspberries and crushed berries, swirling the juices with the end of the spoon so that you have bright pink streaks running through it.

Vanilla Pavlova with Passion Fruit Cream, Pineapple and Mint Salsa (Serves 8)

This is a real show-stopping dessert. The combination of the fresh pineapple and passion fruit alongside the whipped cream and marshmallow-like texture of the meringue is sublime – plus there’s the fresh tang from the mint! This glorious recipe is from Paul Ainsworth’s cookbook ‘For the Food I Love’.

6 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

330g caster sugar

1½ tablespoon cornflour

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Zest of 1 lime

For the Pineapple and Mint Salsa:

1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and diced

1 pod of vanilla, seeds removed

4 passion fruit

12 mint leaves

For the Passion Fruit Cream:

125g crème fraiche

20g icing sugar

150ml double cream

First, make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites and vanilla paste together until light and fluffy. Now slowly start to whisk in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Continue to whisk until the meringue forms soft peaks. Sift the cornflour and using a spatula fold it through the fluffy egg white. Finally, fold through the lemon juice.
Onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper, spoon (or pipe) the meringue, forming 8 domed circles (approx. 10cm). Bake in a preheated oven, 110’c fan for 55 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the pavlovas in the oven to cool and dry.
To make the pineapple and mint salsa, take a bowl and add the pineapple and vanilla seeds (from the pod). Cut the passion fruit in half and scrape out the fruit into a sieve over a small bowl to collect the juice. Keep back 1 tablespoon of juice for the fruit cream (see below) and add the rest to the salsa, along with the passion fruit seeds. Chop up some of the mint but reserve a few leaves for decoration. Now give the salsa a good stir.
Next make the passion fruit cream. Take a mixing bowl and add the crème fraiche, icing sugar and reserved 1 tablespoon of passion fruit juice, whisk together to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until you have soft peaks. Fold the whipped double cream through the passion fruit mixture and whip until stiff. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
To serve, place the pavlovas onto a large platter or individual plates. Divide the passion fruit cream between the pavlovas in neat dollops, then spoon over the pineapple and mint salsa. Finish with lime zest and reserved mint leaves.

Baileys and Praline Roulade

Baileys is one of those liqueurs which is synonymous with the festive period so you’re bound to have a bottle lying around somewhere to use for this dessert. It’s, obviously, delicious anytime of the year but more importantly easier to make than it looks. Yes, it does tend to crack when you roll it but honestly, that adds to its charm!..

For the praline:

50g blanched hazelnuts

120g caster sugar

For the roulade:

190g egg whites (approx. 5 large eggs)

275g caster sugar

1 teaspoon cornflour

3 tablespoons roasted chopped hazelnuts

For the filling:

300ml double cream

1 teaspoon icing sugar

70ml Baileys Irish Cream

Preheat the oven to 180’c fan. Add the blanched hazelnuts to a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 10 minutes until they’ve started to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 150’c, fan.
Add the sugar for the praline to a saucepan and heat gently for 4-5 minutes. The sugar will melt around the edges before turning clear. Give the pan a swirl every now and then to ensure it melts evenly, but do not stir it. Once the sugar turns a deep amber colour remove it from the heat and carefully pour it over the nuts on the tray. The sugar will be extremely hot so don’t touch it. Leave the praline to cool and harden.
To make the roulade line a baking tray (approx. 25x35cm) with baking paper making sure it comes up the sides. Add the egg whites to a bowl. Using an electric whisk, start to whisk them slowly, gradually increasing the speed to high until the egg whites are stiff. Gradually add the caster sugar a little at a time, continuing to whisk on a high speed until thick and glossy. Now add the cornflour and whisk for another 30 seconds until combined.
Spoon the meringue onto the lined tray, smooth the top and scatter over the chopped hazelnuts. Bake in the preheated oven, 150’c fan, for 25-30 minutes until the meringue looks firm on top. Let it cool for a few minutes before turning it out, hazelnut side down onto a clean sheet of baking paper. Carefully peel off the baking paper from the top of the meringue then leave to cool completely.
To make the filling, blitz the set praline in a food processor until fine (or chop with a sharp knife), reserve a little to decorate. Whip the cream, icing sugar and Baileys until thickened, just before it reaches stiff peaks. Fold in the blitzed praline and spread the mixture evenly onto the cooled meringue.
Starting from a long side, roll up the meringue using the baking paper underneath to help you. Then carefully lift onto a serving platter. Finally, decorate with the reserved praline. Cut into slices and serve, or if you prefer a cold dessert chill in the fridge for a few hours first.

Chocolate Meringues with Chantilly Cream (Serves 6)

These are as good as they look – and so simple to make! One bite and you will be smitten, whilst crunchy on the outside they have a wonderful chewy centre, then of course there’s the addition of chocolate…plus Chantilly cream! They’re not for the faint-hearted and are rather messy to eat!

*The meringue shells will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container, just add the cream when you want to serve them!

3 egg whites

180g unrefined caster sugar

25g cocoa powder (I use ‘Green & Blacks’), sifted

1 teaspoon of cornflour

For the Chantilly cream:

300ml whipping cream

25g unrefined caster sugar

1 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur

Dark chocolate shavings to decorate (optional)

Firstly, preheat the oven to 140’c fan.
Put the egg whites in a bowl. Using an electric hand whisk, start to whisk them slowly, gradually increasing the speed to high until the egg whites are stiff. Gradually add the caster sugar a little at a time, continuing to whisk on a high speed until thick and glossy. Finally, whisk in the sifted cocoa powder and cornflour.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment and scoop the meringue mixture onto the paper in 12 spoonfuls.
Place in the oven and straightaway reduce the temperature to 120’c fan. Bake for 1 hour then turn off the oven and leave to cool in the oven for a further hour.
When ready to serve, whisk the cream a little then add the sugar and Kahlua and continue to whisk until it stands in soft peaks. Sandwich the meringues together with the Chantilly cream.

Brown Sugar Pavlova with Strawberries and Rhubarb (Serve 6)

I adore Pavlova and this recipe for ‘Brown Sugar Pavlova’ is a new favourite. I discovered it just recently in Sally Clarke’s cookbook , ‘First Put on Your Apron’. The brown sugar gives the meringue a subtle caramel flavour and a sweetness that cuts the tart rhubarb beautifully. It doesn’t like to sit around, so assemble it at the last minute in order to keep the meringue as crisp as possible. Having said that, in the past I’ve keep the leftovers in the fridge and enjoyed them the following day; even if the meringue is a little ‘soggy’ it’s still delicious!..

4 egg whites

Pinch of salt

160g caster sugar

90g brown sugar

4 drops of vanilla essence

For the Rhubarb and Strawberry topping:

400g rhubarb stalks

1 orange, juiced

1 tablespoon caster sugar

400g strawberries

500g Double cream, stiffly whipped

Mint leaves to decorate

Using an electric whisk, whisk the whites with the salt until they are stiff. Add the caster sugar and whisk for a further minute or two until the meringue is glossy and very stiff. Carefully fold in the brown sugar and vanilla essence until smooth.
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment, draw a circle, roughly 22cm in diameter – you can draw around a plate. Scoop the meringue mixture onto the circle, spreading it out to create a crater by making the sides a little higher than the middle.
Place in a preheated oven, 120’c fan, for 1 hour 10 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow to cool completely in the oven or overnight.
Meanwhile, trim the rhubarb and cut the stalks slightly at an angle into 2 cm lengths and place in a wide-based saucepan, ideally in one layer. Add the orange juice and caster sugar, cover with a lid and bring slowly to a simmer and cook until barely soft, approximately 3 minutes. Check often as you don’t want the rhubarb to overcook, you want it to be a little ‘al dente’ so that it keeps its shape. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down in the covered pan.
About an hour before you are ready to serve the pavlova, hull the strawberries and cut each into 2 or 3 depending on the size and place in a bowl. Carefully pour over the cooled rhubarb and its juices. Do not mix the fruit together at this stage as the rhubarb is very delicate. Leave for up to an hour in the fridge to macerate.
To serve, spoon the whipped cream into the well of the pavlova and carefully arrange the rhubarb and strawberries, without the juices, on top and decorate with sprigs of mint. Serve the juices in a small jug to go alongside.

Florentine Meringue Cake (Serves 6-8)

This is a real show-stopping dessert and one which is perfect for the Christmas season, but delicious at anytime of the year! It’s my interpretation of a recipe I found in Skye McAlpine’s cookbook ‘A Table for Friends’ which layers meringue with a marron glacé-cream filling. I found that this version was overly sweet, plus it seemed a rather extravagant use of the expensive candied ‘marrons’; McAlpine does suggest similar additions such as candied peel, so I started playing around with different cream-filling combinations. I can proudly say I came up with the ultimate meringue cake one which, as its name suggests, is inspired by a favourite of mine, florentines! Despite being incredibly easy to make it looks incredibly impressive on the dinner table; topped with redcurrants frosted with sugar it makes the perfect winter dessert – a fantastic centrepiece for a Christmas celebration!…

300g caster sugar

6 egg whites

2 teaspoons cornflour

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons icing sugar

700ml double cream

200g plain dark chocolate, roughly chopped

40g candied peel, chopped

20-30g soft caramel sweets (I use Werther’s Soft Caramels), roughly chopped

30g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

To decorate:

Redcurrant sprigs

3 tablespoons caster sugar

*You will need three baking trays and grease-proof paper.

On three separate pieces of grease-proof paper draw a circle roughly 23cm in diameter (you could trace around a cake tin). Place each piece of paper on separate baking trays and set aside.
Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the caster sugar. Once the egg whites are stiff and glossy gently fold in the cornflour and vinegar. Divide the meringue evenly between the baking trays, using the circles as a guide.
Bake in a preheated oven, 130’c fan, for 1 hour, then switch off the oven and leave the meringues there to harden for another hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the frosted redcurrants (if using to decorate). Simply dip the redcurrant sprigs in water, then gently roll in the caster sugar and set aside to dry out.
When you are ready to serve the meringue cake, sift the icing sugar into the cream and whip until firm but still silky.
Set one of the meringue discs on a serving plate and top with one-third of the cream and sprinkle over a third of the chopped plain chocolate, candied peel, caramel and pistachios. Top with the second meringue disc and repeat. Finally, top with the third meringue, followed by the remaining cream, chocolate, candied peel, caramel and pistachios.
Finally, if using, decorate the top of the cake with the frosted sprigs of redcurrants.
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve, it will keep for up to 12 hours.

Lemon Angel Pie

This is the most delicious dessert ever!… Ok, I admit that I’ve said this before about numerous other desserts, but seriously you ‘must’ make this, it really is a little piece of heaven! It has the wonderful flavours of its better-known relation, ‘Lemon Meringue Pie’, but is much lighter as it has no pastry thus is also much easier to make, plus of course, it’s totally gluten-free. Be warned, it’s not the prettiest of desserts – you’ll be rather dismayed when minutes after removing the meringue base from the oven it starts to sink and crack, but fear not, once you add the lemon curd and cream you cover a lot of these undesirable looking cracks. The important thing is that it tastes incredibly good!…

(I’ve found that the size of the dish really does make a difference with this recipe, use a 9” round deep pie dish – I use one which is available from amazon here)

200g caster sugar

4 eggs, separated

¼ teaspoon white wine vinegar

Butter to grease dish

For the Filling:

100g caster sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Grated zest of 1 lemon

¼ teaspoon salt

500ml double cream

To Serve:

Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

(9” round, deep pie dish – buttered)

Beat the egg whites until white and fluffy. Add the sugar and white wine vinegar and beat until stiff and glossy.
Pour into a buttered pie dish, using the back of a spoon push the meringue up the sides of the dish so it looks a little like a pastry case and will hold the filling after it’s baked.
Bake in a preheated oven, 150’c, for 50 minutes until puffed and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool – don’t be dismayed when the meringue sinks and starts to crack, the filling will cover the multitude of sins!
Meanwhile, make the lemon curd by placing the egg yolks in a bowl and beating lightly. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice, grated lemon zest and salt. Then put the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don’t allow the base of the bowl to touch the water) and continue to stir until thickened into a ‘curd’, this can take up to 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Whip the cream until stiff.
Gently fold the lemon curd into half of the whipped cream, pour this lemon curd mixture into the meringue pie shell. Top the pie with the remaining whipped cream and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest.
Chill in the fridge before serving – serve cold.

Chocolate and Cherry Pavlova

This dessert is inspired by the retro dessert, black forest gateau, but made with chocolate meringue instead of sponge – it’s fantastic. The recipe is from Rosie Birkett’s cookbook ‘The Joyful Home Cook’, and with recipes like this, it truly is a joyous book! This recipe works well year-round, even when cherries are out of season, as they are macerated in Marsala wine which sweetens them. Although it is made with meringue, once made up, this dessert does keep quite well in the fridge as unlike traditional meringues it is mixed with hazelnuts and chocolate which give it a coarser texture that doesn’t dissolve with the addition of cream. Having said that, I do think it tastes better fresh, and there won’t be much leftover once you get started on it!…

100g dark chocolate (I use Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate), roughly broken up

4 egg whites

220g caster sugar

½ teaspoon white wine vinegar

100g blanched, skinless hazelnuts, roughly chopped

500g cherries, pitted

175ml Marsala wine or cherry liqueur

350ml double cream

10g dark chocolate for grating

First, macerate the cherries. Put them in a bowl and cover with the Marsala wine, tossing them so that they are thoroughly coated. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (a bain-marie).
Whisk the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually, in batches, add the caster sugar, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick and glossy. Whisk in the vinegar. Pour the melted chocolate down the sides of the bowl, turning the bowl to distribute it evenly, then add the nuts and fold them through lightly so that the meringue is marbled with the chocolate.
Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment, draw a 20cm circle on each and spread the meringue mixture evenly onto each circle – creating two meringue discs.
Bake in a preheated oven, 110’c fan, for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, lift the meringues and parchment onto wire racks to cool.
Whip up the cream until it just forms soft peaks – being careful not to over-whip it.
Drain the Marsala from the macerating cherries and fold it into the cream – it will seem runny at first but will thicken as you incorporate it. Now fold in half of the cherries.
Peel the baking parchment from the cooled meringues. Place one of the meringues on a serving plate, spread with just over half the cream mixture and top with the other meringue disc. Top with the remaining cream mixture and then the remaining cherries. Grate over the dark chocolate and serve.

Strawberry Meringues (Serves 4)

What better way to serve strawberries than combined with meringues?…No, on this occasion I’m not suggesting the classic Eton Mess (you can find that recipe here!)…Instead, in this recipe, the strawberries are actually cooked inside the meringues. By cooking them inside the meringues, the taste of the strawberries becomes more intense – you ‘ripen’ the flavour, so it’s a good recipe for those strawberries which are slightly disappointing. For that reason, it’s worth remembering over the long months after the summer season – when you can only get strawberries that have been flown in from abroad and consequently taste a little bland.

These meringues are best eaten the same day – which I’m sure won’t be a hardship! However, if there are one or two left over they will keep for 24 hrs in the fridge, but no longer. In cooking, you will find that the strawberries will leak out a gooey mixture this just adds to the flavour!

I found this recipe in James Martin’s book ‘Slow Cooking’. The recipes in this book are all simple to prepare yet are cooked or marinated slowly for at least an hour to create show-stopping dishes with little fuss – and this recipe for meringues is definitely one of those!

*You could also make this with raspberries

550g strawberries

4 egg whites

110g caster sugar

110g icing sugar, plus 20g for the sauce

250ml double cream

Hull the strawberries and cut them in half.
Beat the egg whites with the caster sugar in a grease-free bowl until stiff peaks form.
Add 110g of the icing sugar and continue to beat for 4-6minutes until the mixture is smooth and shiny.
Using a large metal spoon, lightly fold just under half of the strawberries into the meringue mixture.
Carefully place 8 evenly sized spoonfuls on the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.
Place in a preheated oven, 100’c fan, and bake for 2 hours.
Whilst the meringues are cooking make the strawberry purée. Place the remaining strawberries in a blender with 3 tablespoons water and the 20g icing sugar, process to a purée, then pass through a sieve to remove the seeds. Set aside.
Place the cream in bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Set aside.
When the meringues are cooked, remove from the baking sheet using a palette knife to transfer to a wire cooking rack, allow to cool before serving.
Serve the meringues with the cream and purée on the side.

Rhubarb and Ginger Meringues (Serves 4)

I love the tart nature of rhubarb; this recipe for Rhubarb and Ginger Meringues has been a favourite of mine for some years now. These individual meringues are not the crunchy type, but are lovely, marshmallowy, soft meringues – you only cook them for 10-15 minutes. They do tend to crack a bit around the edges, so don’t be alarmed when they do, but this adds to their charm, and they still look impressive with the creamy rhubarb and ginger fool that sits in the middle of them. It really is a delicious dessert, the sharp rhubarb is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the meringue. What’s more, it is the simplest of desserts – I found the recipe in Rachel Allen’s cookbook ‘Easy Meals’ – so enough said!…

Watch the video of this dessert being made here!

2 large egg whites

125g caster sugar

For the rhubarb fool:

175g rhubarb, cut into 1cm lengths

75g caster sugar

1 teaspoon grated root ginger

125ml double cream, softly whipped

Place the egg whites in a bowl and using a hand-held electric whisk, whisk until they form soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the meringue mixture is stiff and glossy.
Spoon 4 large blobs of the mixture onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Using the back of a spoon create a well in the centre of each meringue (this is where the rhubarb fool will sit).
Place the meringues in a preheated oven, 160’c fan, for 10-15 minutes until they are crisp on the outside but still marshmallowy in the middle. Remove from the oven and carefully lift them from the greaseproof paper to cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile make the rhubarb fool. Place the rhubarb, sugar and ginger in a saucepan with 25ml of water. Cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the rhubarb is stewed to a mush and the syrup has thickened. Allow to cool, then fold into the whipped cream.
To serve, place the meringues onto individual plates and spoon a dollop of rhubarb fool over the top of each one.

Wreath Pavlova with Summer Berries

I make this pavlova in the shape of wreath, having seen the recipe by Mary Berry for a Christmas pavlova in this wreath shape some years back. I find that this shape is not only stunning to look at but also easier to slice. I use a mixture of summer berries, but most fruits work well, so you can use whatever you have to hand. You will need to draw out the shape of the wreath on baking parchment – I find that at large plate and a saucer are about the right size – see photo above.

For the Pavlova:

6 large egg whites

350g caster sugar

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon cornflour

For the Filling:

600ml double cream

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

50g icing sugar, sifted

300g strawberries, hulled and quartered

300g raspberries

200g blueberries

A few mint leaves to decorate (optional)

Icing sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 140’c fan.
First place a large piece of baking parchment on a baking sheet and draw 30cm circle (you could use a large dinner plate) and inside this circle an inner circle of 15cm (you could use a saucer) – thus creating a wreath shape.
Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and with an electric whisk, whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually whisk in the caster sugar a little at a time until the whites are stiff and glossy. Mix the cornflour and vinegar together in a small cup and then whisk into the whites.
Spoon the meringue mixture onto the ring drawn on the parchment. Using a spoon to make a shallow trench in the meringue for the cream to sit in – see photo above.
Place in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 120’c. Bake for 1 hour- 1 hour 15 minutes until the outside is hard but still white. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova inside for at least an hour or overnight to cool and dry (don’t forget it’s in the oven!)
To assemble, whip the cream, vanilla paste and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. Spoon the cream in the trench of the pavlova and top with the berries and decorate with the mint leaves (if using). Finally sprinkle with icing sugar. Delicious!!

Strawberry Eton Mess (Serves 4)

There are numerous recipes for Eton Mess, and I must admit to trying my fair share of them over the years!… I think this one has the perfect balance of ingredients. In my opinion, life is too short to be making meringue to be broken up for an Eton Mess, so for this recipe I recommend you use shop bought meringue; I particularly like the meringue nests by Waitrose, which are slightly chewy in the middle. It is important to assemble this dessert at the last minute as otherwise the meringue will go soggy in the cream. (I do have a fantastic recipe for meringue – if you’re not breaking them up – which I use for Pavlova…you can find the recipe above!)

450g strawberries, hulled

1 rounded tablespoon icing sugar

300ml double cream

4 meringue nests (see note above)

Place half the strawberries in a blender with the icing sugar and whizz until puréed.
Pass the purée through a sieve to remove the seeds.
Whip up the cream until it is just floppy – not too stiff.
Chop up the remaining strawberries and break up the meringues into roughly 1inch pieces.
To assemble (see note above): in a bowl, gently mix the meringues and strawberries (reserve a few for decoration) into the cream and gently fold in about 2 tablespoons of the purée.
Spoon the mixture into individual bowls, top with the reserved strawberries and pour over more of the purée.
Serve straightaway!

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