meringue:
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 oz bittersweet chocolate shavings
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup pomegranate juice (I'd suggest buying a bottle of it rather than trying to juice the fruit yourself. I stuck about half the seeds in the blender before I'd thought that far ahead and after several unhappy tries, I ended up using a new pair of my daughter's tights to strain the juice out.)
Refer to the Chocolate & Berry Meringue recipe for step-by-step pictures. Preheat oven to 350*F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, draw a 10 inch circle and set aside. Beat the egg whites on med-high until soft peaks form. Continue beating on high and gradually add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gently fold in chocolate shavings, cocoa and juice. Spread meringue onto prepared sheet and place in oven. Immediately reduce heat to 300*F and bake for 1 hr. Remove from oven and cool completely. Carefully peel off parchment paper and place meringue on a large platter. Top with freshly whipped cream, extra chocolate shavings and pomegranate seeds.
