SALTED CARAMEL & CHOCOLATE PAVLOVA
Serves 10-12
6 eggwhites (about 230g)
1½ cups caster sugar
100g dark cooking chocolate,
melted
750ml thickened cream, whipped Chocolate curls, to decorate Caramel sauce 1½ cups sugar
150ml pouring cream Pinch ground sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 120°C. Trace 3 x 20cm circles onto 3 separate pieces of baking paper. Grease two large oven trays with cooking oil spray. Place baking paper on prepared trays, tracing-side down.
2. Beat eggwhites in large bowl of an electric mixer until foaming. With motor running, gradually sprinkle sugar over, one tablespoon at a time, beating between additions until soft, glossy peaks form. This will take approximately 15-18 minutes.
3. Divide meringue evenly into circles on trays. Spread to edges of circles. Drizzle melted chocolate over meringue. Use a teaspoon to swirl lightly. Bake for 1½ hours, or until crisp to touch. Turn oven off and allow to cool in oven with door slightly ajar. (This is best done by allowing to cool in the oven overnight.)
4. To make caramel sauce, heat sugar in a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Stir with a heatproof spatula until sugar melts and comes to a simmer. Continue to swirl pan until toffee turns rich amber in colour. Remove pan from heat and add a small amount of cream. Stir until incorporated
– the heat in the caramel should melt any hardening pieces. Continue stirring in small amounts of cream until most has been added and mixture is smooth. Return to heat, adding remaining cream and stirring until combined. Simmer for
5 minutes until caramel is thick and smooth. Season with salt.
5. Transfer caramel to a heatproof glass bowl and allow to cool. Cover and stand at room temperature. This can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before warming in the microwave in 10-second bursts to reach a drizzling consistency.
6. Place a meringue disc on a cake stand and spread with ⅓ of the whipped cream, staying at least 1cm from the edge. Drizzle caramel sauce over cream and edge of meringue. Top with another layer of meringue, cream and caramel sauce. Top with remaining meringue disc and spread with remaining cream. Drizzle with caramel sauce and top with chocolate curls. Serve.