Jo Pratt's fruit pudding from Stroud, served with marshmallow meringues
Ingredients
For the meringues:
- 4 large egg whites
- 100 g3½ oz caster sugar
- 125 g4½ oz icing sugar, sieved
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 /2 tsp vanilla extract
- Sunflower or vegetable oil
For the fruit and cream:
Method: How to make Roast autumn fruit with mulled cream and marshmallow meringues
Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas 1.
To make the meringues, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the caster sugar and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes.
Add the icing sugar, cornflour, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Whisk until you have a firm, glossy and super creamy consistency, a bit like shaving foam. This will take a good few minutes.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and lightly brush with a little of the sunflower or vegetable oil. Dollop and slightly swirl six large spoonfuls of the meringue on to the baking paper, leaving a space between each for them to spread slightly.
Bake for 45 minutes until the outsides are crispy but not coloured. Turn off the oven and leave to cool with the door slightly open. When the meringues have cooled, carefully peel away from the paper.
For the fruits, heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Cut the pears, apples and plums into wedges, removing the core/stones. Place in a single layer in a roasting tray. Cut the figs in quarters and add to the tray.
Pour over the red wine, add the star anise, vanilla pod and scatter over the sugar.
Place in the oven for about 25 minutes until the fruits are softened but still hold their shape and the juices in the tray are lightly syrupy. Once cooked, remove the fruits from the tray and if the juices are quite runny, place the tray on the hob and reduce to a syrupy consistency.
Whisk the cream with the mulled syrup until it forms soft peaks.
Serve each person a meringue with a selection of the fruits, drizzled with the syrup and a good dollop of the mulled cream.
