Kiwi Pavlova

I have been wanting to eat this particular dessert for such a long time! Kept seeing it made on the Asian Food Channel (AFC) and it seemed so easy to do....

Pavlova is a dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer - Anna Pavlova. A cake made out of meringue with a crispy crust and soft light inner... it is like a marshmallow!!! Just simply divine...

I got this receipe from the Earthbound Farm but I have modified it to make it my own :)

Here we go:

Ingredients

Meringues:
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sugared Almonds (the receipe was for Pistachios):
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup almond nuts (diced)
2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar

To top it:
5 kiwifruits, peeled and sliced
(any fruits that is sweet and sour can be used too)
Honey

Directions

Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the egg whites in the bowl and beat on high speed until the whites to form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture is thick and very creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch and vanilla and beat another minute on medium speed.

Place the meringue mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Make a shallow well in the center of the meringue with a small ladle or soup spoon. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and reduce the heat to 250 degrees F.

Bake until the meringue dry on the exterior but remain soft in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and allow meringue to cool completely.

For the sugared almonds, melt the butter in a large nonstick pan. Add the almonds and cook over medium heat until the nuts are hot and begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and sprinkle the nuts with the sugar. Stir until the sugar melts and the nuts appear shiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully! The nuts can burn very quickly during this step. Spread the nuts on a piece of aluminum foil and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Place the cream in a cold bowl and whip until it starts to thicken. Add the vanilla and sugar, and continue beating until the cream is stiff.

To serve, place a meringue shell on a plate. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream in the indentation and top with some of the kiwi slices. Sprinkle with candied almonds and drizzle the honey around the base of the each shell. Serve immediately.

I added 1 passion fruit and a banana to the topping....

Yums!