Summer desserts: here’s two keepers

Panna cotta is one of my favourite summer desserts showcasing passionfruit. Try these easy and delicious recipes.

Dig in: passionfruit panna cotta. Picture: Guy Bailey

Filled with passionfruit cream and piled on a plate, these little meringues make a delicious and easy treat. Panna cotta is another of my favourite summer desserts showcasing passionfruit.

Passionfruit panna cotta

600ml cream

375ml (1½ cups) milk

185ml (¾ cup) passionfruit pulp, strained

125g (½ cup) caster sugar

3 level teaspoons powdered gelatine

2 tablespoons boiling water

Place cream, milk, passionfruit pulp and sugar in medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t boil. Set aside. Add gelatine to boiling water, stirring until dissolved; pour into warm cream mixture. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Divide between six 375ml moulds or glasses. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, or until set. Top with extra passionfruit pulp, if desired. Serves 6

Meringues with passionfruit cream. Picture: Guy Bailey

Meringues with passionfruit cream

4 free-range egg whites, at room temperature

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Passionfruit cream

3 passionfruit

1 cup pure cream, chilled

4 tablespoons caster sugar

Push the passionfruit pulp through a sieve into a small bowl. Add a third of the seeds to the bowl, discarding the rest. Using an electric mixer, whisk the cream and sugar until soft peaks start to form. Add the passionfruit and whisk lightly until soft peaks form; chill until needed.

Preheat oven to 110C (fan). Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium high speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition, until dissolved. Add the vanilla essence and whisk on high for 3 minutes or until thick and glossy. Use two teaspoons to spoon meringue onto lined trays (or use a piping bag with a plain nozzle). Bake meringues for 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn oven off and leave meringues in the oven to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

To serve, sandwich meringues together with passionfruit cream (or lemon curd whisked into whipped cream) and pile onto a serving plate. Makes 24-30