Cinnamon Cocoa Pavlovas

Pavlovas bring back memories of family, friends, and good food. My mother always makes a classic pavlova with whip cream, strawberries and kiwis each holiday season. This year for Passover, I thought I'd adapt the recipe to bring the joy of pavlova into another family dinner. While these are technically Swiss Meringues, the coconut whip topping and berries make them feel like a new and updated pavlova. These meringues have a crisp exterior and a pillowey, marshmallow-like inside. Enjoy them with any fruit of your choosing.

Ingredients:

Meringues:

• 5 egg whites, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups superfine (or caster) sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Toppings:

• 1 can coconut milk - Aroy-D brand, chilled overnight

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (or to taste)

• 1 cup washed raspberries

• 1 cup washed blueberries

• 1 cup washed and chopped strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, begin to slowly whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.

3. At the same time, in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together superfine sugar and water. Heat until the mixture boils gently. Continue heating until mixture reaches 175 degrees F on a candy thermometer or until the bubbles start to thicken slightly and the mixture appears sticky, about 5 minutes.

4. With the mixer running, slowly pour the sugar mixture into the egg whites. Whisk on high speed until the mixture is stiff and glossy white (about 5-7 minutes).

5. Whisk in vanilla and salt.

6. Sift cocoa powder and cinnamon onto the meringue mixture. Gently fold in to incorporate. Do not overmix.

7. Scoop meringues onto prepared baking sheet - you should have 9 meringues. Use a spoon to create an indent in the centre of each (like a bowl).

8. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 2 hours or until dry and crisp on the outside. Turn off oven and let cool completely before removing meringues. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.

9. To make the whipped coconut cream, empty the can of coconut cream into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add granulated sugar. Whip until soft peaks form (~7-10 minutes).

10. To assemble, transfer meringue to a serving plate. Mound the coconut cream over the top of the meringues and garnish with fresh fruit. Note that in order to keep this recipe Low FODMAP, do not exceed more than 1/4 cup of whipped coconut milk and 1/4 cup of mixed berries per serving.

**This recipe was adapted from 'The Baker In Me' by Daphna Rabinovitch which is an excellent resource and can be found online or at Chapters Indigo. https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-baker-in-me/9781770502420-item.html