Recipe: Chewy Passionfruit Meringues

These are our dessert of the summer! They look SO good, the meringue texture is crispy on the outside but chewy inside, the cream gives the perfect vanilla sweetness and the tart passionfruit is the perfect topping. They’re really easy to make and perfect to prepare ahead for any summer evening dinner you might be hosting!

We like to keep it honest around here - when a recipe works, we’re all for sharing it. The meringue base is actually from BBC Good Food, because their ratios are spot on and deliver perfect results every time. So while we can’t take credit for the meringues themselves, the dreamy vanilla cream and that vibrant passionfruit finish? That’s all us!

Ingredients - Serves 10

For The Meringue:

• 4 Eggs Whites

• 115g Caster Sugar

• 115g icing Sugar

For The Cream:

• 400ml Double Cream

• 2 Vanilla Pods

• 4 Tbsp Icing Sugar

+ 4 Passionfruit

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 100°C and line two large baking trays with baking paper.

2. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Don’t bin those yolks - we like to use them for meatballs, where they help bind everything together and add moisture.

3. Next, whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks.

4. Slowly add the caster sugar, a little at a time. This helps keep your meringues from weeping while they bake.

5. Once all the caster sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture is thick and glossy, sift in a third of the icing sugar. Gently fold it in with a large metal spoon. Repeat in batches until all the icing sugar is mixed through and smooth.

6. We love piping our mini meringues for a neat look, but using two small spoons works just as well. If you’re piping, go with a large round nozzle and a large piping bag. Pipe or spoon 12 mini meringues evenly across the two prepared trays. Pop them in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Don’t open the oven door during this time.

7. While the meringues are cooking, get started on your cream filling. You can prep this ahead and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble. For the vanilla cream, add the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla seeds (scraped from the pods) into a large bowl. Whisk until stiff peaks form, then refrigerate until needed.

8. Scoop the passionfruit pulp into a bowl, and set aside until needed.

9. Once the meringues are fully cooled, pipe a dollop of vanilla cream on top of each one. Use the back of a spoon to gently press a small well into the cream. Spoon a bit of the passionfruit mix into the well - don’t worry if it drips down the sides, it adds to the look!

10. Serve right away or keep them chilled until you’re ready to enjoy!