Chocolate, Hazelnut & Vincotto Pavlovas with Verjuice Roasted Pears

Indulge in these incredibly more-ish pavlovas studded with Valrhona chocolate chips and Hazelz roasted hazelnuts and swirled with Vincotto. The pavlovas are topped with fresh cream and and glossy wedges of roasted pear for the ultimate winter dessert.

Serves 6

For the pears:
3 firm Beurre Bosc pears
½ cup sugar
½ cup thevineco Riesling verjuice
1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste
 
For the pavlovas:
3 egg whites
90g castor sugar
90g icing sugar
1 Tbsp Vincotto Calogiuri Originale, plus extra for drizzle
¼ cup Valrhona dark chocolate chips
¼ cup Hazelz roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped plus extra to decorate
200ml cream

Preheat oven to 200°C fan bake.

Cut each pear into eight wedges and remove the cores. Place pears into an ovenproof dish, add the sugar, verjuice and vanilla and toss to combine. Bake for 20-40 minutes, turning regularly, until the pears are tender, have taken on some colour and the liquid has reduced to a syrup. Set aside to cool.

Turn the oven down to 150°C (no fan). Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper.

Using an electric mixer whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until softly peaking. Still whisking, sprinkle in the castor sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture forms firm peaks.

Add the icing sugar and continue to beat until the meringue forms stiff peaks, is smooth and shiny and the sugar is completely dissolved - about 6 -8 minutes. Fold through the vincotto, chocolate chips and hazelnuts until just combined.

Spoon the meringue onto the prepared tray in six generous mounds.

Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 120°C and continue to cook for further hour. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlovas to cool in the oven for another 6-8 hours.

To serve, lightly whip the cream and top each pavlova with a spoonful. Transfer pavlovas to serving plates and top with wedges of pear, a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts and a drizzle of vincotto.