Recipes for the Busy Family: Mint and Chocolate Meringue Cake

Ingredients (serves 6)

Preheat oven to 120C. To make meringue, fill a sink one-third full with hot water. Place egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place bowl in sink and whisk for 30 seconds or until sugar has dissolved. Remove from sink. Using an electric mixer, whisk mixture to soft peaks. Add mint essence and cornflour. Whisk for 8 minutes or until stiff and glossy. Fold in 80g chocolate.
With a pencil, draw a 24cm round on a sheet of baking paper. Place paper on an oven tray, pencilled-side down. Place three-quarters of meringue in the centre of the round. Using a spatula, spread to fill round. Spoon remaining meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle and pipe bite-sized 'kisses' around the large meringue. Alternatively, drop teaspoonfuls of meringue onto the tray.
Bake meringues for 50 minutes or until firm to the touch. Turn off oven and cool meringues completely in the oven with oven door held ajar with a wooden spoon (this takes about 3 hours).
Melt the remaining 70g chocolate in a heatproof bowl (see note on Melting chocolate). Using a fork, drizzle meringues with chocolate. Leave to set. Using an electric mixer, whisk cream and icing sugar to soft peaks.
To assemble, spread large meringue with cream. Top with meringues kisses and scatter over pomegranate seeds and frosted mint leaves, if using.

Melting chocolate: To ensure smooth melted chocolate, place a quantity of chopped chocolate in a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Pick a saucepan that the bowl will sit over snugly and fill one-third full with water. bring water to a gentle simmer. Place bowl over the pan, making sure it doesn't touch the simmering water, and stir occasionally. for small quantities of chocolate, turn off the heat. The residual heat will melt the chocolate.
Tip: This cake looks beautiful decorated with frosted mint leaves. Brush small mint leaves with egg white, dust in caster sugar and leave to dry.