Heart Shaped Meringues Filled With Passion Fruit Curd Food

HEART-SHAPED MERINGUES FILLED WITH PASSION FRUIT CURD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trace 4 heart shapes onto the parchment paper using a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Turn parchment paper over on baking sheet; set aside.
• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the egg mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Attach bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
• Spoon meringue mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round 1/2-inch tip. Cover one of the hearts with an even layer of meringue. Continue piping meringue around the outer edge of the heart, making a 1-inch-high cup. Repeat piping over the remaining hearts.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 175 degrees, and bake until meringue is dry and crisp but still white., 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours more. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let meringues cool completely before carefully easing them off the parchment. Meringues can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
• When ready to serve, fill each meringue heart with passion fruit curd and garnish with berries. Dust meringues with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

MERINGUE ROULADE WITH PASSION FRUIT CREAM

Steps:

• To make the meringue, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a 23 x 33cm baking tray with baking parchment and lightly brush with oil.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Gradually whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, and continue whisking until the mixture is thick and glossy, then fold in the remaining meringue ingredients. Spread the meringue evenly onto the prepared baking tray. Bake for 10 mins, then lower the temperature to 170C/150C fan/gas 3 and cook for a further 10 mins.
• Meanwhile, dust another sheet of baking parchment with icing sugar. Once cooked, remove the meringue from the oven and leave to cool for 2 mins on the tray. Turn out onto the dusted piece of parchment. Cool for a further 5 mins, then gently peel off the bottom sheet of parchment from the meringue. Cover with another layer of parchment and roll up the meringue from the long side until ready for use.
• To make the filling, whip the double cream with icing sugar and fold in the mascarpone and passion fruit pulp.
• Unroll the meringue, spread the cream mixture over the surface, top with the shredded mint leaves and roll up again, using the parchment to help you. Chill, then serve in slices, dusted with icing sugar.

PASSION FRUIT-FILLED CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the passion fruit curd: In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and egg yolks; whisk in passion fruit puree and salt. Add butter and place pan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted, mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and small bubbles form around the edge of the pan, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat while continuing to whisk. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Rinse and dry saucepan.
• Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter, scraping down the sides as needed, until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until combined after each addition.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in a center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool. Invert cupcakes onto the rack; reinvert and let cool completely.
• Make the meringue buttercream: While cupcakes are baking, fill the reserved saucepan with about 2 inches water and bring to a simmer. Combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer. Set bowl over (not in) simmering water, and whisk until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. (Test by rubbing between your fingers; the mixture should feel smooth.)
• Attach bowl to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, and beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture is cooled completely, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium-low; add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating to incorporate fully after each addition. (Buttercream may appear curdled at this point; it will become smooth again with continued beating.) Beat in vanilla. Switch to paddle attachment. Beat on lowest speed, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Assemble the cupcakes: Using an apple corer, make a small hole in the top of each cupcake, reserving tops. Fill each cupcake with about 1 tablespoon chilled passion fruit curd. Replace reserved tops, then pipe frosting onto cupcakes, as desired.

PASSION-FRUIT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Preheat oven to 200°F. and oil a baking sheet. On a sheet of parchment paper, using a 3- or 4-inch heart-shaped cutter as a guide, draw 6 hearts. Turn parchment over and put on baking sheet.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar and a pinch salt until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar and beat until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip and pipe evenly onto parchment hearts, filling them in. (Alternatively, divide meringue among parchment hearts, spreading with a small spatula to fill in.)
• Bake meringue layers in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until crisp and firm. (If weather is humid, cooking time may be longer.) Cool meringue layers completely on baking sheet in turned-off oven and carefully peel off parchment. Meringue layers may be kept, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container in a cool, dry place 1 week.
• Make filling:
• Halve 3 passion fruits and scoop out pulp (including seeds and juice) into a sieve set over a bowl. Force pulp through sieve, pressing hard on seeds, and discard seeds. In a bowl beat cream until it holds soft peaks and fold in passion-fruit juice and sugar until just combined.
• Make garnish:
• Halve remaining passion fruit and scoop out seeds, reserving them. Halve pomegranate. Bending back rinds, dislodge some seeds from membranes, reserving them, and reserve some juice.
• Arrange a meringue heart on each of 2 plates. Top hearts with whipped cream and garnish with some reserved passion-fruit and pomegranate seeds. Top each dessert with 1 more meringue heart. Desserts may be made 2 hours ahead and chilled, loosely covered. Bring desserts to room temperature before serving.
• Garnish desserts with more passion-fruit and pomegranate seeds and some reserved juice.