Prune Whip

Place 225g (1.5 cups) pitted prunes and 120ml (1/2 cup) water in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer (do not allow a rolling boil, which will make prunes tough), then cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once at the 5-minute mark, until prunes are fully plump and fork-tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes before blending.

Transfer cooled prunes and all remaining cooking liquid to a countertop blender or small food processor. Add 5ml (1 tsp) fresh lemon juice, then blend on high speed for 30 seconds, scraping down the blender sides once at the 15-second mark, to create a completely smooth, thick, lump-free deep purple puree. Pour puree into a small bowl and set aside.

First, wipe the inside of a large metal or glass mixing bowl and your electric mixer whisk attachment with a paper towel dabbed in 5ml (1 tsp) lemon juice to remove all grease (critical for fluffy peaks). Add 4 large pasteurized egg whites (120ml) and 0.5g (1/8 tsp) fine table salt to the bowl, then whip on medium speed (speed 4 on a standard stand mixer) for 2 minutes until soft, drooping peaks form when the whisk is lifted straight up out of the mixture.

With the mixer running on medium-high speed (speed 6 on a standard stand mixer), add 50g (1/4 cup) granulated white sugar 1 tablespoon (12.5g) at a time, waiting 30 seconds between each addition to allow the sugar to fully dissolve into the egg whites. Once all sugar is added, continue whipping for 2 full minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form, and the meringue does not shift or slide when the bowl is tilted 45 degrees. Add 5ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract and mix on low speed for 10 seconds to combine.

Before folding, preheat your oven to 175C (350F) and adjust a rack to the middle position. Add one-third of the prune puree to the finished meringue, and use a flexible rubber spatula to fold gently in a figure-8 motion—cutting through the center of the mixture and scraping up from the bottom of the bowl—for about 4 folds to lighten the dense meringue. Add the remaining prune puree in two equal batches, folding gently after each addition only until just combined; stop as soon as no large white streaks remain, as overmixing will deflate the fluffy, light texture.

Evenly divide the prune whip mixture between four 120ml (1/2 cup) oven-safe ceramic ramekins, tapping each ramekin gently on the counter once to release large trapped air bubbles. Set ramekins on a small rimmed baking sheet, then bake on the preheated middle oven rack for 12 minutes, until the tops are lightly matte and the whip jiggles softly (like set Jell-O) when the baking sheet is nudged. Remove from oven, dust each top with an equal portion of the 8g (1 tbsp) powdered sugar, and serve warm immediately.