Pomegranate Pavlova Food

GINGER & POMEGRANATE PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Using a dinner plate as a template, mark a roughly 25cm circle on a sheet of baking parchment in pencil, then flip the parchment over and put it on a large baking sheet or tray.
• Whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk to stiff peaks, then whisk in the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until the meringue is glossy. Whisk in the vinegar, cornflour, ginger and vanilla. Dab a little meringue under all four corners of the parchment to help it stick to the baking tray, then spoon the meringue inside the marked-out circle using a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Spread the meringue to the edge of the circle, then create a dip in the middle - you want to create a 'crater', where the sides are higher than the centre, so the middle will hold the toppings.
• Bake for 1 hr until the meringue is crisp and the base firm, then turn the oven off and leave the meringue to cool inside for 2 hrs.
• Meanwhile, make the topping. Whisk the cream, sugar, stem ginger and ginger syrup together until the cream has just thickened and reached the soft peak stage.
• To assemble, spread the ginger cream in the middle of the cooled pavlova, then sprinkle over the crushed biscuits and pomegranate seeds. Best eaten straightaway.

PERFECT PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Using an 18cm round cake tin or plate as a guide, draw a circle on the parchment, then flip it over. Heat the oven to 130C/110C fan/gas ½.
• Rub the reserved lemon half around the inside of a large bowl or stand mixer, then wipe with kitchen paper to remove any butter or oil. Tip in the egg whites and whisk with an electric whisk or the mixer on a low speed until the whites form small, foamy bubbles, about 1-2 mins. Keep going until the mix looks like shaving foam, then add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until it's a thick, glossy meringue. Rub some between your fingers - if you can feel any grains of sugar, keep whisking for a few minutes. Add the cornflour, lemon juice and vanilla, and whisk for another 30 seconds.
• Spoon the meringue onto the baking parchment, into the centre of the circle, and spread it out to the edges with a palette knife. Swipe the knife around the edge, then smooth the top. Bake for 15 mins, then turn the oven down to 100C/80C fan/gas ¼ and bake for 1 hr. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside to cool for at least 2 hrs, or overnight.
• When you're ready to serve, carefully invert the pavlova and peel away the parchment. Don't worry if it cracks a little - it will be covered by the toppings. Toppings to tryWatermelon, lime & mint sugar pavlovaBanana, tahini & salted caramel pavlovaCherry, almond & vanilla custard pavlova

PEACH AND POMEGRANATE PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C/100°C fan/the lowest gas mark and line a baking sheet with baking parchment or a reusable baking sheet.
• Make the meringue mixture then sprinkle the raspberry powder over the top and fold through a few times. You want to see ripples of raspberry, so don't mix it in completely. Spoon onto the baking sheet and spread it out into a large rectangle that is the same thickness all over. Bake for three hours so the meringue is completely dried out and crisp. To ensure a crunchy shell and soft, chewy middle, I like to turn the oven off and leave the meringue to cool in the oven overnight. If you don't have time, just leave it to cool on the tray until completely cold.
• Whip the cream into soft peaks and just before serving, spoon it onto the top of the meringue. Arrange the peach slices on top of the cream, fanning them out, then sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on top.