Peach Cloud

Do not attempt to make this recipe on a damp, humid or rainy day. If you use bottled passion fruit juice, boil down 1/2 cup of bottled juice until it measures 1/4 cup, then proceed with recipe. Or you can substitute strawberry or red currant jam in the glaze.

Meringue Crust:
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

Lightly butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Set oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Beat egg whites and salt to glossy, stiff peaks, gradually adding sugar halfway through. Spread meringue evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 1 1/2 hours. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside the oven for 12 hours or overnight. It will get a hint of color.

Cream-Cheese Layer:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cream
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Beat cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. In a cold bowl with cold beaters, whip cream to medium-stiff peaks. Fold a "scoop" of whipped cream into beaten cheese, to loosen the cheese and make it easier to fold with the cream. Fold remaining cream and marshmallows into cream cheese. Spread over meringue crust and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.

Peach Layer:
5 or 6 large freestone peaches

Drop peaches into a large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Test readiness by piercing one with a knife tip. If the skin curls back, peaches are ready to peel. Do not boil longer than 1 minute, or peach pulp will begin to cook. Remove peaches from water with a slotted spoon or wide strainer, place them in a colander and immediately rinse in cold water. Keep in a bowl of ice water until all peaches are peeled and pitted. Skins should slip off. If skins stick to flesh, peel with a knife. Slice peaches evenly into 1/4-inch slices and place in neat lengthwise overlapping rows over the cream-cheese layer. Or cut squares from pan and decorate individually.

Glaze:
1/3 cup undiluted frozen passion fruit juice
2 to 3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch

Boil all ingredients until clear. Immediately brush onto all surfaces of peaches. Chill until serving.

To serve, cut into squares.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.