WHIPPED INTO A FRENZY

THIS DREAMY DESSERT CONTAINS A SWEET SURPRISE – A WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FILLING

I met superstar chef Enrique Olvera a few years ago at a cooking masterclass in Melbourne. We talked about his passion for his heritage and what drives him to create new dishes. His corn husk meringue and corn mousse is a bigger Instagram star than Kim Kardashian. That was the genesis for this recipe. Enrique partners his meringue with Mexico’s most ubiquitous ingredient, corn. The meringue is baked with charred corn husk and vanilla and filled with a corn and mascarpone mousse. The meringue is broken open (an accident) and filled with the mousse. That’s it. My meringue genuflects to the greatness of Enrique’s. Feel free to Instagram it. COCOA NIB MERINGUE, WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE Serves: 6 INGREDIENTS

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

180g caster sugar

10g sifted Dutch-processed cocoa 10g cocoa nibs

60g white chocolate

30ml cream

125g cream cheese

30g icing sugar

½ tsp vanilla paste

100ml cream whipped, chilled

METHOD

Preheat oven to 90C. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time with the electric mixer running, allowing the whites to absorb the sugar before adding more. Once all the sugar is added, continue to beat on high speed for about 5 mins. The meringue should be stiff and glossy. Place the mixture in a piping bag with a large plain tip. Pipe out into evenly spaced apart 8cm discs on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Sift cocoa over the meringues and sprinkle nibs evenly over the tops as well. Bake for about one to 1¼ hours or until meringues are set and dry to the touch. Allow to cool in the oven. Place the white chocolate and cream in a small bowl over a pot of simmering water. Turn off the heat and leave to stand until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Next, beat cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla until soft and creamy. Mix the melted chocolate and cream into the cheese and sugar mixture until smooth and then fold in the chilled whipped cream. Carefully split meringues and fill with cheesecake.