Meringue nests with passionfruit cream and mango
Meringue nests with passionfruit cream and mango is an easy summery dessert that will not disappoint! This dessert may be assembled in no time and presents very beautifully.
What is a meringue?
Meringue is a sweet made simply with beaten eggs whites and sugar. The egg whites become glossy and stiff. The method of making the meringue may vary depending on the cuisine but the ingredients are essentially similar. Widely used in desserts the resulting meringue may also vary a lot. When baked at a low temperature you may make pavlova or it may be the first step of making angel food cake. In addition to, with a bit of blowtorch action you may create a Bombe Alaska or a meringue lemon tart.
Passionfruit cream
The passionfruit cream for the meringue nests is essentially flavoured whipped cream. Thickened cream is first whipped with vanilla bean paste and sugar, then passionfruit pulp is folded through. The passionfruit pulp adds texture to the softened cream as well extra tangy flavour. It’s important however to strain the pulp to begin with so the juice is kept separate from the thickened cream but instead used for garnish later.
Seasonal fruit to add
Mangoes are definitely one of my all time favourite summer fruits. There is a vaeriety of mangoes available at the supermarket, but commonly the Calypso mango is great for decorating on desserts as its flesh is firmer, bigger in size and not overly sweet.
The combination of the sweet fleshy mangoes with the tangy passionfruit is very refreshing. In saying so, you may decide to include other fresh fruit depending on what is in season. Stone fruit like nectarines and peaches or simply strawberries and mint work well together also.
Assembly tips
Meringue nests may be easily crushed when put pressure on, so when you’re assembling them be careful you don’t press them too hard. Furthermore, they may easily absorb liquid hence the preparation of these meringue nests should be done just before serving. Otherwise, they will become too soggy and may easily fall apart.
For more sweet creations, traditional and non, check out this link!
Would love to hear your feedback below or on any of my social media pages – Facebook or Instagram .
- 300 mL thickened cream, heavy cream
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 fresh passionfruit
- 8 meringue nests
- 1 Calypso mango
-
Use a mixer to whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until it thickens. Cut two of the passionfruit in half and scoop out the seeds, about 2 tbs. Strain them, set the juice aside and add the seeds in the whipped cream. Fold the seeds in the cream, cover and place it in the fridge for about 10min. You may do this step ahead of time, for up to 24 hours, and use the thickened cream just before serving.
-
While the cream is in the fridge, peel the mango, cut the two cheeks off and then slice them very thinly along the length. Scoop out the third passionfruit and stir the contents with the reserved juice. This will be used for garnish.
-
To assemble get one of the meringue nests, add a dollop of the passionfruit cream, decorate with the mango slices and the reserved passionfruit.
These are best assembled just before serving so that the meringue doesn’t go soggy. Like I mentioned above you may prepare the passionfruit cream ahead of time, cover, keep in the fridge and just assemble last minute.
