When the mango contest was announced I decided I wanted to make a Pavlova. A traditional Pavlova has a meringue base topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. It is delicate and ethereal, much like the famous ballerina it was created in honor of. The downside (or upside) of making meringues is you only use egg whites. I wanted to incorporate the yolks into the dessert somehow, and thought a nice tart mango-lime curd would be perfect to balance the sweetness of the meringue. At that point my dessert would no longer be a true Pavlova, so it evolved into this parfait. The curry scented meringue gets piped into sticks, which are broken and layered with the curd, fresh mango and kiwi (my nod to New Zealand, where the Pavlova arguably originated), and whipped cream. It makes for a refreshing dessert, and the crispy meringues add a lovely textural dimension. The meringues and curd can and should be made ahead, so assembly is a snap when you're ready to serve. <br />

Share: