Strawberry sundae with monkey blood
Pepper and spices add zing to a layered sweet dream of strawberries, ice cream, meringue and raspberry syrup.
Ingredients
For the pavlova
- 240驳/8陆辞锄 egg whites (about 6 large eggs)
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 300驳/10陆辞锄 caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
For the monkey blood
- 200g/7oz raspberries
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 lime, juice only
- 6 green cardamoms, crushed
- 1 star anise, crushed
For the pepper corn syrup
- 500g/1lb 2oz caster sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 15g/陆oz black peppercorns, crushed
To serve
- 2 punnets fresh strawberries
- vanilla ice cream
- 4 sprigs of fresh mint
Method
For the pavlova, preheat the oven to 100C/80C Fan/Gas 录. Line a baking tray with parchment.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy and add the cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.
Mix 陆 tablespoon of sugar with the cornflour and set aside. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy. Whisk in the cornflour and sugar mixture. Gently fold in the vanilla extract and vinegar.
Spoon the mixture onto the prepared baking tray creating a circle 25cm/10in accross. Bake for 2 hours. Once cooked, cool on a wire rack.
For the monkey blood, place all ingredients in a bowl with two tablespoons of water and mix well. Cover with cling film and set on top of a simmering pan of water for 1 hour.
Pass the monkey blood through a sieve collecting the liquid in a bowl. Heat to reduce it in volume if you want a thicker monkey blood. Set aside until cold.
For the pepper corn syrup, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a pan of 500ml/18fl oz water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the peppercorns. Simmer for 2 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Cut the strawberries in half. Spoon a little of the syrup over them and set aside until you are ready to serve.
To serve, assemble the sundaes in bowls with layers of ice cream, strawberries, pepper syrup, pavlova and then top with monkey blood. Garnish with mint.
