Clementine, pomegranate and vanilla mess

A gloriously messy dinner party dessert where fluffy and crunchy meringue is stirred through vanilla whipped cream.

Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour

Serves
Serves 2

Dietary
Vegetarian

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the vanilla cream

1 vanilla pod, seeds removed
200g/7oz cream cheese
200g/7oz double cream
100g/3½oz icing sugar, sieved

For the soft meringue

4 free-range egg whites
squeeze lemon juice
225g/8oz caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp white wine vinegar

For the garnish

1 pomegranate, seeds removed
2 clementines, peeled and segmented
40ml/1fl½ oz pomegranate molasses
handful dried cranberries, chopped
2 tbsp Iranian pistachios
fresh mint sprigs

Method

To make the vanilla cream, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge until needed.
To make the soft meringue, preheat the oven to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the egg whites to a large, clean bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Add the lemon juice, then slowly add the sugar bit by bit, whisking continuously, until dissolved.
When everything is incorporated, combine the vanilla extract, cornflour and vinegar in a separate bowl, then add into the whisked egg white mixture and mix until you have stiff peaks. Spoon some small, neat meringues onto the lined baking sheet and some bigger ones to smash up. Bake for 40–60 minutes until the meringues easily lift off the paper. Allow to cool.
To assemble and serve, smash up some of the bigger meringues and mix with the vanilla cream. Scatter over some pomegranate seeds and clementine segments. Top with the smaller meringues and spoon over some pomegranate molasses, chopped dried cranberries and the pistachios. Garnish with the mint sprigs