Coffee pavlova recipe

Coffee pavlova is a great treat to make if you're having friends or family over or just want something special for pudding. For the meringue, you only need five ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen - egg whites, sugar, coffee granules, cornflour and white wine vinegar. It's important to get good quality coffee as this will make the pavlova have a richer coffee flavour - perfect for any caffeine addicts. It takes a total of two hours to make this coffee pavlova but this delicious dessert is well worth the wait - and the effort! This coffee pavlova serves 8 to 10 people, so it's enough to serve a group of friends or family members if you're making it for pudding after Sunday roast or a special meal. We bet your guests will really appreciate being served a slice of this heavenly coffee pavlova.

Ingredients

For the meringue:

• 4 large egg whites
• 250g (8oz) caster sugar
• 1 tbsp good coffee granules, sifted
• 1 level tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

For the filling:

• 250g tub mascarpone cheese
• 450ml (¾ pint) double cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 4 tbsp Marsala or Tia Maria or Kahlua
• About 2 tsp coffee essence (eg, Camp coffee)
• Grated chocolate or sifted cocoa powder, for the top
• Large baking sheet, lined with Bakewell paper with a 20cm (8in) circle drawn on it

Method

1. To make the pavlova, set the oven to Gas Mark 1 or 140°C. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add half the sugar and whisk in well, then add the rest of the sugar and the sifted coffee granules, and whisk quickly to shiny peaks. Now quickly whisk in the cornflour and vinegar.
2. Place big spoonfuls of meringue round the inside edge of the circle on the Bakewell paper, then fill in the middle with the rest of the meringue, levelling the surface. Put the tray in the oven and bake meringue for 1¼-1½ hours until crisp. Turn off the oven and leave the door open slightly. Leave the Pavlova inside to cool for an hour, if you can. Cool at room temperature.
3. To make the filling: Whip the mascarpone in a large bowl, to soften it, then add the cream, sugar and Marsala, and whisk to the consistency of whipped cream. Spoon into the Pavlova on the serving plate.
4. Drizzle coffee essence over the filling, then sprinkle with grated chocolate or sifted cocoa powder.