Tropical fruit cup with coconut cream and finger lime jelly

SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 45 MINS (PLUS CHILLING)

“This dish takes me right back to my childhood memories of tinned fruit in sweet syrup,” says Moran. “This grown-up version gets a lot of its sweetness from honey, which is mixed through a coconut and mascarpone cream, and the only other sugar in the dish comes from a finger lime jelly – made by extracting the fruit’s natural pectin. It also brings a joyful pop, a bit like the old glacé cherry on top of a sundae. Any fruit can be used in the base, provided it’s fragrant and perfectly ripe.”

125 gm finger limes (see note) 1 Granny Smith apple

125 gm caster sugar

2 eggs, chilled

1 tbsp honey

400 ml can coconut cream, chilled

180 gm mascarpone

Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean 2 ripe mangoes, cut into bite-sized pieces, flesh from stone squeezed off 1 small ripe papaya

(about 450gm), cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Cut each finger lime in half, gently squeeze pearls into a small bowl and reserve rinds. Pick out seeds and place in a small saucepan with 400ml water and rinds (reserve pearls for later). Grate apple – skin, core and all – into pan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, prodding lime skins under the surface occasionally, to infuse and to extract pectin (30 minutes). Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, pushing with the back of a spoon to extract juice (discard solids). Add sugar to juice, return pan to heat and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil rapidly until liquid is reduced by half (12-15 minutes). Cool to room temperature.

2 Meanwhile, whisk eggs and honey in an electric mixer until firm peaks form (4-6 minutes). Open chilled coconut cream and spoon hardened top layer into a bowl (you’ll need about 180gm). Stir mascarpone and vanilla through coconut cream, then fold in egg mixture, a third at a time, until smooth.

3 Layer mango and papaya into serving glasses, then spoon coconut-mascarpone cream on top, smoothing the surface. Stir apple jelly until smooth, gently fold in finger lime pearls and carefully spoon over the cream layer. Refrigerate to chill and set (at least 30 minutes), before serving.

Note Finger limes are available from farmers’ markets and select greengrocers; they may need to be ordered ahead. Wine suggestion A light, fresh dessert-style wine, such as the 2016 Frogmore Creek Iced Riesling from Cambridge, Vic.