This recipe comes from Samantha Seneviratne's clever new book "Bake Smart," we absolutely can't wait to serve this beauty over the holidays!

"Pavlova is an elegant dessert of a baked meringue topped with cream and fruit. Here the individual meringues are baked at a low temperature for a long time to give them a crisp exterior and a marshmallowy interior. Don't worry too much about color: a little browning will only add more flavor.

As a South Asian American, I am genetically predisposed to sniff out the most gorgeous mangoes that exist. You too should literally sniff at the grocery store. Zero aroma equals zero flavor. Gorgeous ripe, fragrant mango slices are heavenly paired with sweet and nutty tahini cream."

INGREDIENTS 
For the Meringues
1/2 lemon
4 large egg whites 
Pinch of Kosher salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 c granulated sugar
2 tsp tapioca starch

For the Tahini Cream
1/2 c Seed + Mill Organic Tahini
2 tbsp light or dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c heavy cream, plus a bit more if necessary

To Finish
1 large ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp granulated sugar, if necessary
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

STEPS

For the Meringues

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Rub the lemon half all over the inside of a large bowl. Add the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to the bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is foamy and you can no longer see any yellowish tinge, about 3 minutes. 

3. Mix together the sugar and tapioca starch. With the mixer on, add the sugar mixture about 1 tsp at a time to the egg whites and then continue to beat until the whites are stiff, glossy, and you can't feel any sugar when you rub the mixture between your fingers. This will take a while! Don't rush. Once the meringue has reached stiff peaks, continue to beat for another few seconds to stabilize it and help keep it from deflating. 

4. Using a large ice cream scoop, portion the meringue into 8 mounds on the baking sheets, 4 per sheet. Using the back of a spoon, make a small divot in the center of each mound. Bake the meringues for 1 1/2 hours, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues in it until completely cool, at least 2 hours. 

For the Tahini Cream

1. In a small bowl, combine the tahini, brown sugar, and vanilla. In a large bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer on medium to medium-soft peaks. 

2. Fold the tahini mixture into the whipped cream. (You should have about 3 cups.) If the cream stiffens too much, gently fold in an extra teaspoon or so of heavy cream.

To Finish

1. If the mango isn't too sweet, toss it with the granulated sugar.

2. Arrange the meringues on a serving platter. Top each meringue with with some of the cream and mango and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Recipe from BAKE SMART by Samantha Seneviratne. Copyright © 2023 by Samantha Seneviratne. Used with permission by Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: Johnny Miller.