Humble to HERO

In-season apples and pears are the stars of these decadent cakes and desserts

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Winter pavlova with maple roasted pears

PREP + COOK TIME 3 HOURS (+ COOLING)
SERVES 6-8

10g butter, melted, for greasing
2 teaspoons cornflour, plus extra for dusting
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
½ cup (110g) brown sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300ml cream, whipped

MAPLE ROASTED PEARS

4 firm Packham pears, peeled, quartered, with stems intact
2/3 cup (160ml) maple syrup
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
½ cup (125ml) fresh orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
30g butter, diced

1 Preheat oven to 120°C/100°C fan. Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Mark a 12cm x 30cm rectangle on paper. Grease marked rectangle and dust with extra cornflour.

2 Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and sugars with an electric mixer on high speed for 10 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally, until meringue is thick and glossy, and the sugar is dissolved.

3 On low speed, beat in cornflour, vinegar and vanilla. Spread meringue just inside marked rectangle.

4 Bake meringue for 2 hours or until dry to touch. Cool in oven with the door ajar.

5 To make maple roasted pears, preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan just before serving. Line a medium ovenproof dish that will fit quartered pears snugly with baking paper. Place pears in a single layer on tray. Combine maple syrup, sugar and orange juice in a small bowl, then pour over pears. Add cinnamon stick to tray and dot pears with butter. Roast for 35 minutes, turning and basting twice during cooking, or until pears are golden and tender, and syrup is caramelised.

6 Transfer pavlova to a serving platter. Top with cream and maple roasted pears. Drizzle with syrup.