Passionfruit pavlova ice-cream sandwiches

Is there a more classic Australian summer dessert than a pavlova with fresh fruit and cream? This version comes in ice-cream form, an excellent treat to have sitting in your freezer.

Passionfruit pavlova ice-cream sandwiches Credit: Benito Martin

• makes

  8

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  1 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Ice-cream

• 600 ml full-cream milk
• 200 ml pouring (pure/single) cream
• 160 g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 pinch of salt
• 220 g (1 cup) passionfruit pulp (12-14 passionfruit)

Meringues 

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 pinch of table salt
• 120 g caster sugar
• 100 g sifted pure icing sugar

To serve 

• 200 g pouring (pure/single) cream

Equipment 

• 6 cm-diameter and 7.5 cm-diameter cutters
• 30 cm x 24 cm baking dish or tray

Resting time: overnight

Instructions

To make the ice-cream, place the milk, cream, half the caster sugar and the vanilla into a saucepan and place over a medium heat to warm, whisking to combine. Allow to come just to the boil, then remove from the heat.

Whisk the remaining caster sugar, egg yolks and salt in an electric stand mixer on high until pale, fluffy and doubled in size, about 2 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly pour in half of the warm milk mixture. Once combined, transfer this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook slowly over low heat, stirring constantly with a large spoon, for about 5 minutes, until the custard coats the back of the spoon and you can draw your finger across it, forming a line that stays there. It should also look slightly thicker and custard-like.

Pour the ice-cream base into a container, let it sit for about 20 minutes and then whisk in the passionfruit. Rest in the fridge overnight. 

Pour your ice-cream base into an ice-cream maker and churn until ready. Spoon the mixture out into a baking dish or tray, about 30 cm x 24 cm, lined with plastic wrap. Use a step palette knife to smooth down the top. Place it back in the freezer to set firm, at least a good few hours. 

Preheat the oven to 100ºC. 

Before you make the meringues, use a pencil to trace sixteen 6 cm-diameter circles onto baking paper, leaving ample space around each. Lightly oil the baking paper, on the pencil side, then flip over and use to line baking trays. 

To make the meringues, place your eggwhites and salt into an electric stand mixer and mix on medium speed until white and frothy, about 2 minutes. Raise the speed a little and spoon in the caster sugar, in batches, and mix until the sugar has dissolved and the whites look shiny, another 2 minutes. 

At this stage turn the speed down to low and spoon in the icing sugar. Continue whisking for another 3 minutes. By this stage your whites will be delightfully thick and glossy. 

Use a spatula to transfer the whites to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle, about 1 cm in diameter. To pipe your sandwich rounds, start in the middle of each circle and spiral out like a snail until you reach the edge of the circle. 

Once you have slowly and carefully piped all your rounds, bake the meringues for 1 hour before turning the heat off and leaving them to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar. 

Remove the meringues from the paper and set aside. If storing, place them in an airtight container.

When you are ready to construct, whip your cream to medium peaks. 

Pull out your ice cream and use the 7.5 cm pastry cutter to make 8 rounds and then return to the freezer. 

Lay your meringues out, flat-side up, and spoon a dob of cream atop each one. Spread it to the edges. 

Take the ice cream out of the freezer and gently ease away the ice cream rounds. Place an ice cream round on top of a meringue, then sandwich with another meringue. Repeat with the remaining meringue and ice cream rounds, transferring them to the freezer as you go. Once you have done them all, wrap each ice cream sandwich in baking paper and return to the freezer. Give them a few hours to set before you serve.

Cook’s tips

• This recipe can be done in stages over several days; the meringues can be made and kept in an airtight container for a good week.

• Once made, the ice cream sandwiches can be left in the freezer for another good week.

Photography by Benito Martin. Food styling by O Tama Carey. Prop styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Nick Banbury.

This recipe is part of The seasonal cook: Passionfruit column. View previous The seasonal cook columns and recipes.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.