I absolutely love passion fruit, and the trees in southeastern Mexico, particularly one in my childhood friend Fernando’s backyard in Bacalar Quintana Roo, inspired this creation. Think of this dessert like a tropical layered cake filled with the exquisite tartness of passion fruit and topped with a silky, sugary meringue. Avoid using mezcal with a worm in the bottle because they are, for the most part, not the best quality. You will need a blowtorch to caramelize the meringue topping, or you can use a broiler or simply sprinkle with some crunchy meringue instead (page 160).
Ingredients
serves 8 to 10
Passion Fruit Jelly
Step 1
TO MAKE THE JELLY, combine the passion fruit pulp, water, and sugar in a heavy small pot over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Adjust the heat to maintain a constant simmer, and cook until the mixture is thickened and “grabs” onto a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, and let cool completely. If the jelly feels too thick once it’s cooled, stir in a little bit of hot water. (The jelly can be made up to a month in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)
Step 2
To assemble the ante, slice the mamón horizontally across into 3 even layers. Brush each layer a few times with the mezcal. Place one cake layer on a serving platter, spread one-third of the passion fruit jelly on top, spreading evenly to the edges. Place another cake layer on top, spread with another third of the jelly, and repeat for the last layer. Spread the meringue over the sides and top of the cake with an offset spatula, moving the meringue around so it looks like waves or flames. Finish by toasting the meringue waves with a kitchen torch. Dip a knife into hot water before making each slice so the meringue doesn’t stick to it.
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