Baileys orange macaron pavlova

Decadent, creamy and delicious, this showstopping pavlova will have everyone coming back for seconds!

SERVES: 8-10 PREP TIME: 60 MINS, plus cooling time COOK TIME: 75 MINS

Ingredients

For the caramel

• 100g white caster sugar

For the meringue

• 100g ground almonds

• 5 Love Local eggs, separated

• 300g caster sugar

• 2 tbsp cornflour

• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

• 400ml double cream

• 5 tbsp Baileys

• 1 tbsp Camp chicory & coffee essence or 2 tbsp very strong cold black coffee

• 2 tbsp icing sugar

• 5 oranges, peeled and segmented or 2 x 400g cans mandarin segments, drained

• 25g Co-op Fairtrade dark chocolate

Method

1. Oil a baking sheet. Heat a small saucepan until hot, add the sugar and leave to dissolve. As it dissolves and caramelises, pick up the pan and swirl the sugar around so that the undissolved sugar is incorporated. When the caramel is a lovely golden colour, pour it onto the oiled baking sheet and leave to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/ fan 180ºC/Gas 6. Spread the ground almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Reduce oven to 140ºC/ fan 120ºC/Gas 1.

3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and draw a 25cm circle on one and a 20cm circle on the other.

4. Using an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the caster sugar 2 tbsp at a time, whisking between additions, until the meringue is smooth and glossy. This will take 5-10 minutes to complete.

5. Carefully fold in the ground almonds, cornflour and vinegar, trying to lose as little air as possible.

6. Divide the mixture between the two circles and swirl the meringue to cover the circles completely. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour.

7. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool inside to help stop them cracking.

8. One hour before you are ready to serve, put the cream, Baileys, coffee and icing sugar in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Stand the larger meringue on a serving plate and swirl half the cream over the top. Arrange half the orange segments on top, then the second meringue, then the remaining cream. Place the remaining segments on top.

9. Coarsely grate the chocolate and scatter over the cream. Hit the caramel with a wooden spoon to break it into shards and arrange 7-8 pieces over the top of the meringue.