Author Notes
When the mango contest was announced I decided I wanted to make a Pavlova. A traditional Pavlova has a meringue base topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. It is delicate and ethereal, much like the famous ballerina it was created in honor of. The downside (or upside) of making meringues is you only use egg whites. I wanted to incorporate the yolks into the dessert somehow, and thought a nice tart mango-lime curd would be perfect to balance the sweetness of the meringue. At that point my dessert would no longer be a true Pavlova, so it evolved into this parfait. The curry scented meringue gets piped into sticks, which are broken and layered with the curd, fresh mango and kiwi (my nod to New Zealand, where the Pavlova arguably originated), and whipped cream. It makes for a refreshing dessert, and the crispy meringues add a lovely textural dimension. The meringues and curd can and should be made ahead, so assembly is a snap when you're ready to serve.
—hardlikearmour
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Ingredients
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4 large eggs
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¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons castor or baking sugar, divided
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¾ cup powdered sugar
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¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
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1 ½ teaspoons sweet curry powder
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¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
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1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
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1/8 teaspoon salt
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
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5 champagne mangoes (about 3 ¾ lbs), divided
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1 ½ teaspoons lime zest
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4 kiwi fruit
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1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
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½ cup crème fraiche
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
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Preheat oven to 200º F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment, and set aside.
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Separate your eggs, making sure not to get a single speck of yolk in the whites. Place the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, and set the yolks aside. Allow the whites to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. While the whites are resting measure out ½ cup castor sugar, and set it aside. Combine the powdered sugar, coconut, curry powder, and cardamom in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, then process for one minute. Set aside.
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With the whisk attachment, beat the whites until foamy. Add about half of the sugar you measured, then beat until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula fold the powdered sugar mixture into the meringue.
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Transfer the meringue into a gallon zippered plastic bag (alternately use a piping bag with a large plain tip). Remove approximately a ¼-inch sided right triangle from one corner using a sharp scissors to make a diagonal cut. Pipe long strips of meringue onto the prepared sheet pans, about 10 to 12 strips per pan. Bake until crisp and dry about 75 minutes. Turn off the oven, and allow the strips to cool in the oven. Once cool transfer to an airtight container.
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Make the curd while the meringue is baking. Rinse bowl of food processor. Combine yolks, ¼ cup sugar, 1/3 cup lime juice, salt, and butter in bowl of food processor. Peel and cube 2 mangoes, and add the cubes to the food processor. Pulse several times, then process until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan. Add the lime zest. Heat over medium-low heat, scraping bottom constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and registers 165-170º F on an instant read thermometer. Strain curd through a mesh strainer, using the wooden spoon to scrape and stir the curd through the mesh. There should be 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups curd. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until ready to use.
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When ready to assemble. Peel and cube the remaining 3 mangoes and the kiwi fruit. Place in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon sugar. Allow to macerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
Combine the whipping cream, crème fraiche, vanilla and 1 tablespoon sugar in a cold bowl. Whip to semi-firm peak stage.
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Place a dollop of whipped cream at the bottom of a parfait glass. Top with about 2 tablespoons mango-lime curd. Top with a layer of fruit. Top with a layer of crumbled meringue. Repeat the layers leaving a piece of kiwi and a piece of mango to garnish each parfait. Top with a layer of whipped cream then garnish with some finely crumbled meringue, a couple of pieces of meringue sticks, and the reserved fruit. (Alternately assemble in a trifle dish.) Note: you will likely have left-over meringue sticks and whipped cream.
I am an amateur baker and cake decorator. I enjoy cooking, as well as eating and feeding others. I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband and our menagerie. I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, mushroom hunting, tide pooling, beach combing, and snowboarding.
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