Brown sugar pavlova with mascarpone cream and roasted figs recipe

Looking for a way to upgrade your pavlova recipe? This brown sugar pavlova with mascarpone cream and roasted figs is the perfect way to do it! Delicious ripe figs add a super-sweet kick to the basic pavlova recipe, and make this crispy dessert even more impressive. This pavlova recipe takes a total of 4 hours to make but it will be well worth the wait because it tastes so good. To make this delicious brown sugar pavlova, you only need six ingredients. This recipe serves six people and is guaranteed to impress!

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites at room temperature250g (9oz) caster sugar
• 50g (2oz) soft dark brown sugar
• 250g (9oz) mascarpone cheese
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 300ml (½ pt) whipping cream
• 6 ripe figs, quartered

You will need:

• A baking sheet, lined with greaseproof paper

Method

1. To make this pavlova, preheat oven to 150°C (300°F, gas mark 2). Whisk the egg whites with an electric hand whisk until they form stiff peaks. Gradually stir in 175g (6oz) caster sugar and the brown sugar, 1dsp at a time.
2. When all the sugar is incorporated, you should have a stiff and glossy meringue. Pile it on to the baking sheet and spread out into a 20cm (8in) circle, swirling the edges with a palette knife. Place in the oven and cook for 30 mins, then switch off the oven and leave the meringue in the oven to dry out for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
3. Mix the mascarpone and vanilla together, then gradually pour in the whipping cream so you have a light cream. Place the remaining caster sugar in a large shallow pan and gently melt. When it's dissolved, add the cut figs, increase the heat and cook for a few minutes until the figs are soft and the sugar has caramelised. Leave to cool.
4. Put the pavlova on a plate, add the mascarpone cream and top with the figs. Drizzle the caramel syrup over it and serve.