This snow egg recipe from food writer and photographer Elainea Emmott is a simple showstopper dessert packed with fresh tropical flavour. The meringues float on light but hidden crème patissière...
This snow egg recipe from food writer and photographer Elainea Emmott is a simple showstopper dessert packed with fresh tropical flavour. The meringues float on light but hidden crème patissière next to the silky mango sorbet and contrasting crumb, plus the sharp tang of passion fruit on top.
Put the drained mango slices in a container or bag and into the freezer to freeze solid (at least 3 hours).
Meanwhile, make the meringues. Heat the oven to 120°C fan/gas 1. Beat the egg whites in a bowl until stiff, then add the vanilla followed by the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking all the while. Whisk until all the sugar is used and the meringue has become stiff again. Line a tray with baking paper, then use 2 tablespoons to form oval meringues, spooning them onto the paper. Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool inside it (don’t open the oven door).
While the meringues bake, prepare the crème pat. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla. Put over a medium heat and cook until just beginning to simmer, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of the hot milk to the eggs, whisk to combine, then whisk in the plain flour and cornflour, ensuring there are no lumps. Pour the rest of the milk onto the eggs, whisking constantly, then transfer the mixture back into the pan and cook over a low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into a bowl, cover (with the baking paper touching the surface of the custard) and leave to cool, then reserve in the fridge until needed.
To make the coulis, halve the passion fruit and scoop out the juice and seeds into a small pan. Put over a medium heat and simmer for a few minutes until the juice thickens slightly. Add the lime juice, then set aside to cool.
Once the meringues have cooled, take them out of the oven. Reserve any broken shards of meringue as well as the neater quenelles. Turn the oven back on to 160°C fan/gas 4. Mix all the dry ingredients for the crumb in a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until you get a breadcrumb-like texture. Sprinkle the crumb into a baking dish then bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Once cool, mix in the reserved broken bits of meringue.
Take the chilled crème pat out of the fridge and give it a whisk to loosen it up. Whip the whipping cream until stiff, then fold it through the crème pat to loosen the mixture. Return to the fridge until needed.
When ready to serve, tip the frozen mango into a blender and whizz into a sorbet, adding the lime juice as you do so. It should be firm and slightly slushy. Spoon generous dollops of the crème pat into serving bowls, then put 2 quenelles of meringue on top. Sprinkle the almond crumb between them, then add a spoonful of mango sorbet on top of the crumb. Drizzle the coulis over the top with a spoon.