Pavlova with chocolate, banana and honeycomb
Ingredients
5 eggwhites
250g pure icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp cornflour
2 tsp white vinegar
300g dark chocolate buttons
1 Tbsp honey
160ml milk
2 Tbsp thickened cream
50g unsalted butter, diced
5 ripe bananas, thinly sliced diagonally
Juice of 1 lemon
50ml maple syrup
450g mascarpone
Extra 100ml thickened cream
100g plain honeycomb, roughly chopped
Method
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Preheat oven to 120°C. Draw a 9 x 30cm rectangle on 2 pieces of baking paper. Turn paper over and use to line 2 oven trays.
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Put eggwhites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high, using whisk attachment. Gradually add icing sugar until soft but thick glossy peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold in cream of tartar, cornflour and vinegar.
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Divide meringue evenly inside drawings on prepared trays and shape using a flat knife or spatula (it does not matter if tops have peaks). Bake for 1 hour or until a
firm crust forms. Turn off oven and leave meringues inside to cool for 1 hour.
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Meanwhile, to make sauce, put chocolate buttons in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped, then transfer to a heatproof bowl. Combine honey, milk and cream in a small saucepan over a low heat and bring to a simmer. Pour hot honey mixture over chocolate and stir until smooth, then stir in butter. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
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Put banana, lemon juice and maple syrup in a medium bowl and toss gently to combine, then set aside to allow flavours to infuse. Put mascarpone and extra cream in a medium bowl and stir gently to combine.
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To assemble, put 1 pavlova on a serving platter and spread with 1⁄2 of the mascarpone cream. Carefully scatter over 1⁄2 of the banana, then 1⁄2 of the honeycomb. Top with remaining pavlova, mascarpone cream and banana. Drizzle over 1⁄2 cup of the chocolate sauce, then top with remaining honeycomb. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.
