Juliet Sears’s mini strawberries and Pimm’s pavlovas
Game, Set and Strawberries! Wimbledon is back and in ode to the much loved British event Juliet will be live from Hugh Lowe Farm in Kent - who have been supplying Wimbledon with strawberries for 25 years! Juliet will be speaking to owner Marion and making her ace strawberry and cream mini pavlovas. Plus, for an extra match point, she'll be whisking Pimm's into her cream.
Mini strawberries and Pimm’s pavlovas
Serves 10
Ingredients
For the meringue:
3 medium egg whites, at room temperature
150g caster sugar plus
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp white vinegar or lemon juice
1½ tsp cornflour
To serve:
15g caster sugar
300g Strawberries, hulled and halved/quartered
80ml Pimm’s
300ml double cream
20g icing sugar
For the ‘tennis court dust’ (optional):
2 biscuits or cookies (suggested almond and pistachio biscuits)
¼ tsp strong green food colouring paste
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 120℃. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment paper.
2. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer – ensure both the bowl and whisk are completely clean. Mix on a low speed until the whites start to froth, and then increase the speed to whisk to stiff peaks.
3. Gradually add in the caster sugar 1 tbsp at a time, allowing a few seconds for the sugar to mix in before adding in the next tbsp. Continue until all of the sugar has been added and the meringue looks glossy.
4. Whisk in the vanilla and vinegar, followed by the cornflour.
5. Spoon 2 tbsp of meringue into blobs onto the baking trays, leaving a gap in between each. Neaten the blobs and make little wells in the middle with the back of a teaspoon.
6. Bake in the oven at 120℃ fan for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 100℃ and bake for a further 40 minutes.
7. Leave the meringue in the oven without opening the door until it has completely cooled.
8. Sprinkle caster sugar over the strawberries and pour over 30ml of the Pimm's, stir well and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
9. Whip the cream with the remaining Pimm’s and icing sugar until it thickens and is almost at soft peak stage.
10. Blitz the cookies and green colouring together in a food processor until you have a fine green crumb. Note: you can also blitz pistachio nuts to make ‘tennis court dust’.
11. To serve, spoon cream into the meringues, if using, scatter over the Tennis court dust onto one side of the cream and finish with the strawberries.