This is a fabulous dessert for Christmas – you can prepare the meringue, poached fruit and vanilla yoghurt the day before. Keep the Pavlova in an airtight container and the other components in the fridge and simply assemble on the day. A deliciously festive and colourful pudding!
Pavlova with rosé-poached sweet melon, raspberries, pink peppercorns and vanilla yoghurt
Ingredients
Pavlova
- 4 egg whites
- 225g castor sugar
- pinch salt
- juice of ½ lemon
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
Poached sweet melon
- 225g castor sugar
- 500ml (2 cups) rosé
- juice of 1 lemon
- seeds of 1 vanilla pod
- pinch salt
- 1 sweet melon, flesh scooped out using a melon baller
Vanilla yoghurt
- 250g double-cream yoghurt
- 40g icing sugar, sifted
- seeds of 1 vanilla pod
- handful raspberries, to serve
- 10ml (2 tsp) pink peppercorns, crushed, to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 110°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
For the Pavlova, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk to soft peaks, then add the 225g castor sugar, 15ml (1 tbsp) at a time, while the mixer runs. Once the sugar has been added, add the remaining Pavlova ingredients and whisk on high speed for 3 minutes.
Spoon the meringue onto the prepared baking tray and shape into a 20cm round. Bake in the preheated oven until hard on the outside and slightly gooey on the inside, 2 hours.
While the meringue bakes, prepare the poached melon. Place the 225g castor sugar, rosé, lemon juice, seeds of 1 vanilla pod and salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil, without stirring. Remove from heat and add the melon balls. Return to the heat and simmer over medium heat until the melon is soft, 20 minutes. Remove the melon balls and allow the poaching liquid to boil and thicken, 20 minutes. Allow the syrup and melon balls to cool completely.
For the vanilla yoghurt, combine all of the ingredients.
To serve, spread the Pavlova with the vanilla yoghurt. Sprinkle with the poached melon, raspberries and crushed pink peppercorns and drizzle with the rosé syrup.
