Australia Day Pavlova
A big thanks to the viewer who sent in this recipe:
Pavlova is a perennial Aussie favourite that's so hard to resist. We've made over the traditional recipe, replacing cream with a lighter yogurt filling and adding mango and kiwi fruit for a green and gold Australia Day look!
Ingredients:
6 eggs whites
1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 large (600g) mango, sliced
2 medium (170g) kiwi fruit, sliced
Mango Yogurt Filling:
2 teaspoons gelatine
2 tablespoons water
250g light cheese, softened
2 x 200g mango and vanilla flavoured reduced-fat yogurt
Method:
The meringue can be made four days ahead. Store the layers separately in airtight containers.
Cover two oven trays with baking paper and mark two 20cm circles on the baking paper.
Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with the electric mixer until soft peaks form; gradually add the sugar and beat until the sugar is dissolved between additions - this process should take about 10 minutes. Fold in the sifted cornflour and the vinegar.
Scoop out and reserve a third of the meringue mixture. Divide the remaining meringue mixture in half and spread equally over the two marked circles. Drop spoonfuls of the reserved meringue evenly around the edge of one of the circles.
Bake meringue circles in a very slow oven (120 degrees C) for about 1 1/2 hours or until dry and crisp to touch. Turn the oven off, leave the meringues to cool in the oven with the door ajar. Just before serving, stir the Mango Yogurt Filling until smooth.
Place the plain meringue circle on a serving plate and spread it with half of the filling. Place the second meringue circle on top, spoon the remaining filling over it and add fruit.
Mango Yogurt Filling:
Sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a cup, stand the cup in a pan of simmering water and stir until the gelatine is
dissovled; coool slighly.
Beat the cream cheese in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, then fold in the yogurt and the gelatine.
Refrigerate until ready to assemble.