Mango, passion fruit and limoncello pavlova

Mary Berry’s mango, passion fruit and limoncello pavlova is an impressive tropical fruit dessert guaranteed to wow family and friends.

Ingredients

For the pavlova

• 6 large free-range egg whites
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

For the filling

• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and halved, stone removed
• 5 passion fruit, sliced in half
• 300ml/½ pint double cream
• 3 tbsp limoncello liqueur
• 25g/1oz pistachio nuts, chopped
• icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Draw a 40x10cm/16x4in rectangle on a sheet of baking paper and place the paper (pencil-side down on a large baking sheet or shallow baking tray.
2. Whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk on full speed, until soft peaks form (see the recipe tip and technique video below). Add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking on full speed until stiff and glossy. Mix the cornflour and vinegar in a cup until smooth, then stir into the egg white mixture.
3. Use four small blobs of the meringue to stick the prepared baking paper to the tray. Spoon just over half of the meringue onto the rectangle drawn on the baking paper. Using the back of a spoon, spread out the meringue to make a neat rectangle. Make a trench in the centre and build up the sides. If necessary, use a small palette knife to add more of the meringue to the outsides to make a smooth rectangle.
4. Spoon the remaining meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe eight small round nests on top of both sides of the meringue rectangle, making a little hole in the middle of each nest.
5. Put in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 130C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Bake for 1–1¼ hours until the outside is crisp but still white. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova in the oven for at least an hour until completely cool.
6. To make the filling, chop one mango into small cubes. Slice the second mango into thin strips. Scoop out the pulp and seeds from the passion fruit.
7. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, then lift out 1 heaped tablespoon and set aside. Fold the limoncello and three-quarters of the passion fruit pulp into the whipped cream, then fold in the cubed mango.
8. Spoon the cream mixture along the centre of the pavlova. Spoon a little of the reserved cream into each nest and top with the chopped pistachios. Arrange the sliced mango along the centre, on top of the cream, and drizzle over the remaining passion fruit pulp.