Ingredients
• 240ml eggwhites (see Cook’s tip at left)
• 420g pure icing sugar, sifted
• 4½ Tbsp cornflour
• 1½ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 100g palm sugar
• 375ml water
• 2 thin slices fresh ginger
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• 500g thickened cream
• 3 mangoes, peeled, thinly sliced
• 16 fresh lychees, peeled, halved, stones removed
• ½ cup small mint leaves
Note: Allow 30 minutes cooling
Method
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Preheat oven to 130°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. To make meringue, put eggwhites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed with whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add icing sugar, ¼ cup at a time, beating well after each addition until mixture is thick, glossy and stiff enough to hold its shape. Gently fold in cornflour, cream of tartar and vinegar until well combined.
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Using a large spoon, dollop 8 rounds of meringue onto prepared baking trays. Using the back of a spoon, create a slight indent in the centre of each dollop, then bake for 60 minutes or until dry to touch. Turn off oven and leave door ajar to allow pavlovas to cool completely.
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Meanwhile, to make syrup, put palm sugar and water in a small saucepan over a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute or until sugar has dissolved. Add ginger and bring to the boil. Boil for a further 2 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove pan from heat. Remove and discard ginger pieces, then stir in kaffir lime. Set pan aside for 30 minutes or until syrup has cooled to room temperature. Transfer to a small serving jug.
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Put vanilla bean seeds and cream in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Spoon a large dollop of cream into each meringue. Arrange mangoes and lychees on top. Drizzle pavlovas with a little syrup and garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately with remaining syrup on the side.