Pink meringues with pomegranate syrup

This recipe for pink swirl meringues with pomegranate syrup is one of my all-time favourite recipes and was featured in my second cookbook sweet. These giant meringues are more like mini pavlovas with ith a crispy outer shell and a marshmallow middle. They are a showstopper dessert to end any feast. Meringues are tricky things to make. They are a combination of three variables namely ingredient ratios, temperature and time. If either of these is altered slightly it can have a big effect on your outcome. Higher sugar content will lead to a harder meringue as well as a higher or longer temperature.

How you like your meringue is a matter of personal taste. I like pavlova (or these giant meringues/mini pavlova’s) to be crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, They should still be firm enough to take a slice out of. I like small meringues to have a firmer and crumbly texture.

Ingredients:

Meringues:

6 large egg whites – at room temperature

1 1/2 cups of caster sugar (320 g)

about 1/2 tsp red food colouring (I used a gel colouring)

A pinch of fine salt

1 1/2 tsp cornflour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pomegranate, seeds removed serve

250ml – 350ml cream, whipped (to serve)

Pomegranate syrup:

1 cup of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice

1/2 cup sugar