A mini pavlova with fresh berries that even vegans can enjoy

Alice Zaslavsky is the host of A Bite To Eat with Alice, weeknights at 6pm on ABC TV and anytime on ABC iview. Alice is the resident culinary correspondent for ABC News Breakfast and ABC Radio, a food literacy advocate, bestselling cookbook author, and creator of Phenomenom, a free digital toolbox helping teachers slip more serves of veg into the curriculum.

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Radio and TV presenter, and co-host of ABC iview's Spicks and Specks, Myf Warhurst joined Alice in the kitchen.

Alice's challenge was to change Myf's mind on pavlova, and she hoped this vegan-friendly recipe, which uses aquafaba in place of eggs, might do the trick.

Myf ate too much pav at a friend's eighth birthday and it's haunted her ever since.

Passionfruit coulis simmering in a pot on a bench top — Bring the passionfruit pulp and sugar to a simmer and let it bubble for 10-12 minutes to thicken but retain its bright yellow colour. (ABC News: David Sier)

This recipe appears in A Bite to Eat with Alice, a new nightly cooking show on ABC iview and weeknights at 6pm on ABC TV.

Find the full list of recipe credits here.

A Bite To Eat With Alice: Mini pav with fresh berries

Prep time:: 5
Cook time:: 35
Skill level:: Low
Serves:: 6

Ingredients

Passionfruit coulis

1 cup (12 passionfruits' worth) pulp

2 tablespoons caster sugar

Veringues (vegan meringues)

¾ cup (185 ml) aquafaba (the drained liquid from a 400g/14 oz tin of unsalted organic chickpeas)

¾ cup (165g) caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

2 cups (500 g) unsweetened coconut yoghurt, chilled whipped organic coconut cream, or your favourite plant-based cream

125g (1 punnet) raspberries

Mint leaves, to garnish

Method

For the passionfruit coulis, bring the passionfruit pulp and sugar to a simmer, then let it burble away for 10-12 minutes to thicken but keep its bright yellow colour. Set aside to cool.
Before starting on the meringues, make sure your mixing bowl is scrupulously clean by swishing some white vinegar on a clean tea towel or paper towel and wiping out the bowl to remove any traces of fat, which will stop the aquafaba foaming properly. Also make sure your beaters are scrupulously clean.
Using a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment, or a hand-held beater and a large metal bowl, beat the aquafaba on medium–high speed until the volume doubles and soft peaks form, which will take about 5–10 minutes (depending on your beaters).
Start whisking in the sugar one tablespoon at a time until it is all used up, whisking for another 5–10 minutes until the veringue is like glossy cumulus clouds, with no feeling of sugar-granule grittiness when rubbed between your fingertips, and tasting like marshmallow. Mix in the vanilla.
If not using the veringue mixture immediately, detach the whisk and leave it in the mixing bowl with the whipped aquafaba, cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for no more than a few hours. When ready to serve, reattach the whisk and whisk for another 5 minutes to reinvigorate the veringue. It'll fluff back up good as new.
To serve, spoon the veringue mixture onto plates. If you like, use a kitchen blowtorch to kiss the tips of the veringue and singe slightly. Spoon your chosen yoghurt or cream alongside and top with the passionfruit coulis and raspberries. Garnish with the mint leaves and serve.