Mini pavlova with caramelised pears, cream and Rooibos honey

For the pears, combine the rosé wine, Rooibos tea, sugar, cinnamon and star anise in a small pot over low heat. Stir well until the mixture becomes a smooth syrup. Add the pears to the syrup and cook until soft. Once the pears are cooked through, remove from the syrup and slice in half.

For the caramel syrup, mix the sugar with butter in a small pot over low heat until melted. Stir until thickened and golden brown. Add the ideal milk to the syrup and bring to a boil. Dissolve the cornflour in the water and add to the syrup. Keep stirring at the same temperature until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla essence.

For the meringues and whipped cream, turn on the grill. Whip the cream with an electric whisk at medium speed until soft peaks form. Rinse the whisk used for the cream and whip the egg whites on medium speed, while evenly adding the castor sugar, until soft peaks form at the tip of the whisk. Add the caramel essence to the whipped mixture and fold in gently. Spoon small scoops of the whipped mixture onto a baking tray covered with baking paper and bake under the grill until slightly brown.

To serve, place the meringues at the base of a small glass dish/martini glass. Place half a pear onto the meringue and slowly pour the caramel sauce over the pear. Top with a dollop of cream. For an extra touch, add a short chocolate wafer stick (optional).