Ingredients
For the Pavlova
• 5 large egg whites (at room temperature)
• 300g caster sugar
• 50g Lily O’Brien’s Mega Milk Chocolate
For the Chantilly Cream
• 300ml double cream (chilled)
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
To Serve
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
• 50g Lily O’Brien’s 70% Dark Belgian Chocolate
• Mint leaves
Method
For the Pavlova
• Heat the oven to 100°C fan then prepare a large baking sheet (or a pizza baking tray works well if you have one) with baking paper.
• On your baking paper draw a circle with a diameter of around 19cm across, then draw 8 large dots on the line,evenly spaced all the way around the circumference of the circle - this will be where you pipe your meringue mixture onto later.
• Separate your egg whites and place in a large mixing bowl. Whisk with an electric hand whisk or stand mixer on medium speed for around 5 minutes until soft peaks form.
• Meanwhile melt the 50g chocolate in a microwave in 30 second increments until just melted and set to one side to cool slightly.
• Add in the sugar, a spoonful at a time while still whisking until all the sugar is combined, then turn up the mixer to high and mix for around another 5 minutes until firm peaks form. You will know when the mixture is ready if you turn the bowl over carefully and the mixture doesn’t move.
• Drizzle the melted chocolate over the surface of the meringue mixture and very gently fold in with a spoon, using as few folds as possible (you will see a marble-like appearance), keeping the mixture as firm as possible.
• Prepare a large piping bag with a large round nozzle or use a disposable plastic piping bag and snip off the end. Fill the piping bag with the meringue mixture and pipe even amounts of the mixture onto the dots, piping in circles from the centre outwards, until you reach about halfway between the dots either side. The mounds of meringue mixture should be just touching as the mixture will spread slightly once baked then forming a circle.
• Bake in the oven for 1.5 hours then turn off the heat and leave to cool in the oven for 2 further hours.
For the Chantilly Cream
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together until the mixture forms soft peaks.
To Serve
• Spread the Chantilly cream on top of the cooled pavlova, top with raspberries, pomegranate arils and decorate with mint leaves.
• Melt the remaining chopped chocolate as before and drizzle over the meringue portions just before serving.
