Mini pavlovas with vanilla and pear

Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F) fan-forced. Degrease the bowl and whisk attachment of your food processor or mixer with a paper towel and 1/3 of the vinegar. This will ensure the egg whites are easy to beat.

Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat until they start to stiffen slightly. Gradually add the caster sugar. Once all the caster sugar is incorporated, beat until stiff peaks form. Place some of the mixture between your fingertips. If you no longer feel any sugar granules, the mixture is ready. Whisk 4g of cornstarch and the remaining white vinegar into the mixture.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Seal the corners of the paper with a small amount of meringue mixture. Spoon four mounds of the mixture onto the parchment paper. Bake the mini pavlovas for 60 minutes. Turn the oven off and let them cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.

Meanwhile, combine 100g of granulated sugar with the water and apricot liqueur in a saucepan. Halve half of the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the pod and seeds to the saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar crystals slowly dissolve. Peel the pears and place them in the syrup. Poach gently for 30 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, halve the remaining vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Reserve a small splash of cold milk and bring the remaining milk, the seeds, the pod, and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a saucepan. When it's almost boiling, reduce the heat and let the milk sit for 2 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining granulated sugar and the remaining cornstarch. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and pour the mixture into the warm milk, whisking constantly. Heat over low heat and stir for about 5 to 10 minutes until the custard thickens and coats the spoon.

Toast the almond shavings in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Pick the mint tips off the tops. Divide the pavlova among plates, followed by the custard and the sweet pear with syrup. Garnish with the almond shavings and finally the mint tips.