Mini Pavlovas with Kiwi Compote

METHOD FOR MERINGUES

• 1
  Ideally, prepare the meringues a day before serving. Start whisking the egg whites at medium speed, and once foam begins to form, gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisk until you have a firm and glossy meringue (this takes a few minutes). Once it forms firm, but still quite flexible peaks (it should not run off the whisk), briefly whisk in the starch and vinegar at a lower speed. The meringue must be glossy and elastic, without bubbles. Be careful not to over-whisk, as this would cause problems during baking.
• 2
  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or another suitable mat (Teflon, silicone, etc.) and pipe the meringue into the desired shape. You can either make tall mounds with a spoon, creating a hollow in the center and shaping the sides with the spoon, or fill a piping bag with the meringue using your chosen nozzle (both round and star nozzles are suitable – e.g., an open star). Use the largest baking sheet possible. The meringues need space, and you only bake one sheet at a time, so you need to use all the meringue at once.
• 3
  Preheat the oven to 140˚C (top and bottom heat).
• 4
  Place the baking sheet in the lower position of the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 105˚C. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Then turn off the oven, but do not open it, and let the Pavlovas rest in it for at least another hour and a half to two hours.

METHOD FOR COMPOTE

• 1
  For the compote, set aside about a third of the chopped kiwi. Mix the remaining two-thirds with sugar and lemon juice and cook until soft and some of the liquid has evaporated. Remove 3 tablespoons of the compote and set aside. You will use them to make the jelly.
• 2
  Chill the compote in the refrigerator. Once it has cooled to at least room temperature, add the remaining third of the kiwi that you previously blended. This will partially restore the green color of the compote. I picked up this tip from the foodandstyle.com blog, and it's invaluable.

METHOD FOR JELLY

• 1
  For the jelly, add 1 peeled, chopped kiwi to 3 tablespoons of compote, blend, and heat. Soak a gelatin leaf, then add the softened and squeezed leaf to the prepared kiwi base, removed from heat, and stir until dissolved. Pour into a suitable small flat container (e.g., a plastic box lined with cling film) and refrigerate to set.

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLY

• 1
  Whip the cream until stiff. Spread kiwi compote on the bottom of the meringues. Spoon whipped cream over the compote and decorate with cut-out jelly, fresh kiwi, and chopped pistachios.