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1
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Farenheit. Place egg whites in a clean (preferably glass or metal) bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar one spoonful at a time. Beat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is glossy and firm.
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2
Spoon the meringue onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and form 4 mini pavlovas, using a knife to flatten and smooth the cakes. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the sides of the pavlovas are crispy and firm to touch and ever so slightly coloured. Turn off the heat and let them sit in the oven until cool with the door slightly ajar.
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3
Using half of the umeshu, dip the biscuits quickly into the wine (you don't want to over-soak them) and put them to one side. In a separate bowl mix the mascarpone and orange rind.
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4
When the pavolas are ready and completely cool, they should be firm and crispy on the outside, and soft, marshmallowy and fluffy on the inside. What you want to create here are pavlova casings, with the insides and bottom empty, but the top and sides perfectly intact. Very, very carefully pick them up one by one and scoop out the marshmallow-like insides with a spoon and add this to the mascarpone. Fold the meringue gently into the mascarpone until you get a smooth mixture, and add the rest of the umeshu, mixing until you get a creamy consistency.
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5
Line a ramekin (just a bit smaller than your mini pavlovas) with plastic wrap, layer first a spoonful of the mascarpone mixture, then a layer of biscuits, which should now be soft enough to cut into pieces and shape perfectly to fill a layer. Add another layer of mascarpone and finish with a layer of biscuits, cut to size. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge. If you can do this the night before, better, if not, try to do let them sit for at least 1 hour. The longer you leave it, the more the biscuits will soften into a sponge-like texture and the delicate flavours will develop.
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6
Turn the tiramisu out upside-down onto your serving plate, add more mascarpone mixture as needed, to round out the size of your tiramisu to fit, and very, very carefully place your pavlova casing on top. I would recommend making extra pavlovas for this, as you may find they can be extremely fragile and break very easily! Garnish with some cherry blossom flowers when in season.
