Passionfruit Cream

my passionfruit doodle 

Remember when we were kids?  We grew up in the country and everyone had a huge patch of mint growing wild around the al fresco toilet, and a passionfruit vine growing over the roof.  I don't know if I have mentioned the adventures we had with the outside loo?  Our neighbour was a felon, constantly in and out of jail.  He kept crazy, insane chooks (chickens for you non-Aussies), which would fly in when you were ensconced on the throne and attack you with claws outstretched. A sibling with a big broom was a huge help.    

Anyway, his son was my first boyfriend (we were 8 years old).  I used to stand outside his house, and yell out for him to come and play.  Sometimes he did, and sometimes he didn't.  One day I ran all the way down to the railway bridge to check if he was there; but he wasn't.  Oh you little heartbreaker Ronnie!




(Photo of Puffing Billy, the restored steam locomotive which runs along the Trestle Bridge where I tried to find Ronnie. - photo author Gwernol).


Here is a recipe from an old magazine, lurking in my folder of old recipes:=)  Strangely, seeing how prolifically passionfruit appear on the vine, they tend to be outrageous in price.  I read that passionfruit growing requires a great deal of manual labour (even in this modern, technological age), so perhaps that's why.    


Serves 6 - 8 


ingredients:

250g. little white marshmallows

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup passionfruit pulp -  about 7-8 passionfruit

2 egg whites

2 tbs caster sugar

250g. tub of sour cream

extra passionfruit pulp and whipped cream to decorate


Method:

Place the marshmallows and water into a small saucepan

Stir over a low heat till the marshmallows have melted

Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the pulp

Sit the saucepan in a bowl of icy water to cool down

Beat the egg whites till you have stiff peaks

Now pour in the caster sugar and beat into the stiff whites

Leave the fruity, marshmallow-y mix to cool and start to set

Fold the egg whites into the marshmallow mix

And now fold in the sour cream

Spoon into serving glasses and place them in the fridge for at least an hour

Decorate with the extra pulp and cream


Tips:


If you can't buy those teeny marshmallows, you can use the normal size and snip into quarters with scissors dipped in cold water

If you are a bit worried about not having enough pulp ('cos who knows how much each little baby holds?), grab yourself a tin of pulp and top up with that - I had to!

ingredients  

melted marshmallows and pulp stirred together    

ready to eat (sorry about the fuzzy photo)    

Yep I know, it looks really pink.  I confess I could only buy a mixed pack of pink and white.  This is a very sweet and very marshmallow-y dessert.  Perhaps more for children than adults? But it is also surprisingly light and airy, so I think I will be able to manage a small(ish) bowl for dinner.

my passionfruit doodle again :)