Plum and Maple Meringue Nests

These are basically mini pavlova desserts. They are meringue nests topped with a mixture of whipped cream and mascarpone, with maple and cinnamon roasted plums. 

The meringues are crisp on the outside with a chewy centre, just as is desired for a pavlova. They did brown a little more than intended as I neglected to move my oven shelf back down, but this is not a problem as it just gives them a contrasting colour to the cream. The mascarpone mixture has a slight savoury note that contrasts the sweet maple syrup wonderfully, with the subtle cinnamon spice cutting through both to give an earthy back flavour. They are delicious little light desserts to welcome the warmer weather.