Pavlova

Pavlova is divine.  It's simplicity is part of the beauty.  I will always remember it fondly as a dessert Mum made. it was heavenly. Crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside... She would achieve such beautiful peaks and epic swirls and the vanilla scent that filled the house was mesmerizing. When the pav would eventually emerge from the oven it always looked so elaborate. I would sneak into the kitchen, break peaks off and eat them...

Pavlova can be any shape or size, the cooking time needs to be adjusted accordingly. When they are an unusual shape I tend to decorate and serve the Pav on a flat tray without edges. I love my yellow tray,. It was given to me on our family vacation in Bologna last year, it has very special memories associated with it - just the Pavlova.

Mum would serve the pav smothered in freshly whipped cream, topped with a mixture of fresh berries, segmented nectarines followed by a drizzle of passion fruit pulp. During the winter months when the berries were not in season mum would chop up a couple of Peppermint Crisp's or a couple of Cherry Ripes and sprinkle them over the whipped cream. The pavlova was a desert made all your round.

I always make my Pavlovas the night before I need it, once the pav is cooked, I simply leave the oven door ajar with a wooden spoon. Before I go to bed, I will take the wooden spoon out, close the oven door and leave the pav until the following day – it’s fantastic. 

You can serve the Pav with what ever you like really, curds, fruit, grated or chopped chocolate, toasted nuts or coconut. Sliced banana also compliments the whipped cream and meringue, it's a delightful combination, Note always slice the banana just before serving to prevent the banana from discoloring... 

Gluten Free? Yes, Pavlovas are naturally gluten free, simply ensure care is taken if baking in a gluten environment.

Berries & Cream; I avoid washing berries to dress a pavlova as they can weep and the berries can wilt. Buy good quality fruit from a reputable source. I also only ever add the cream just before serving, especially if it is hot as you will need to keep it refrigerated to prevent it from turning.

Prep time; 20 mins Cooking Time; 1hir 10-20 minutes Yield;  You can make them any size you like, as long as they are all the same size. Experiment with the cooking time if made smaller

Pavlova Ingredients

4 large egg whites (room temperature, not a trace of egg yolk*)

250g caster sugar

2 tsp of cornflour

1tsp white wine vinegar

½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C/ 300°F. Line 2 flat baking trays with grease proof baking paper. Wash your mixing bowl and whisk attachment with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly (fat and grease will prevent the egg white from whisking). 

2. Place your egg whites into your mixing bowl. Using a stand or hand mixer start the mixer on a low speed until the egg whites begin to froth. Then turn the mixer up to medium speed. Watch the egg whites, they will change colour (turn white) and increase in volume quickly. When soft peaks form, and the whisk leaves a trail in the egg whites, start adding the sugar 1 tbsp at a time with a slight pause between each spoon.

3. Once you have added all of the sugar, turn off your mixer and give the bowl a quick scrape down to incorporate any residue sugar from around the sides of the bowl. Then Turn the mixer on to a high speed.

4. Mix for approximately 8-10 minutes. You should have a beautiful thick, glossy mass in the mixing bowl. Turn off the mixer and check the consistency by rubbing some mixture between your thumb and index finger together. If you can barely feel the sugar and the mixture is stiff and forms stiff peaks - its ready. The picture of the whisk above was held parallel with the table and did not budge.

5. Place a small amount of pav mixture onto the 4 corners of the tray, place the grease proof paper over the tray and press down lightly on the meringue mixture in the corners.

6. Using a spoon place spoonfuls of the pavlova mixture onto the prepared tray. Then using the back of the spoon or a spatula manipulate the pavlova into the desired shape, then using the back of the spoon you can make small swirls, the mixture should be around 2 inches in height, do not spread it to thin. Please note the mixture will expand and grow so do not spread the mixture all the way to the edge of your tray.

7. Place the pavlova into the oven, then immediately turn the oven temperature down to 120°C/ 250°F bake for 1hr 10-20 minutes.

8. This pavlova baked for 1hr and 10 minutes. If you prefer the consistency to be drier and chewy like, you can leave the pavlova in the oven longer. You can experiment... You know when the pavs are cooked as they will lift straight off the grease proof paper, the base will be firm and when you gently tap the side it will sound hollow. Once they are cooked, simply turn the oven off. I leave the oven door ajar with a wooden spoon to release the heat and let the oven cool down. Once the oven has completely cooled, I remove the spoon, and leave the pav in the oven until I'm ready to serve it the following day.. If you have small children or it's a hazard to leave the oven door open, simply take the pavlovas out, rest the tray on an oven rack and return the trays to the oven for storage once the oven has cooled down.

9 Just prior to serving, whip the double cream click here for a demonstration. I prefer the cream to be lightly sweetened and whipped to a soft peak consistency. It should have a beautiful silky smooth texture. 

10. Chop and prepare your fruit and berries or chocolate of your choice. To assemble, dollop some cream into the indentation and scatter your topping gently over the cream.. Avoid too much topping or it may slide off the cream. Alternatively you can place a bowl of cream and your choice of toppings and your guests can prepare their own. Assemble and enjoy!

• Storage; you can store the mini pavlovas in an airtight container for 2-3 days although they are best eaten that day or the following day.
• Assemble and enjoy with in a couple of hours, as pavlovas will start to soften and weep after a few hours of refrigeration.
• If you store the pav in the oven overnight, remember not to preheat your oven whilst the pavlovas are still in the oven - put a reminder note on the oven door! 

Top Tips;

• Liquid egg whites such as two chicks can be also used.
• You can also use lemon juice (no pips or pith) or apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar. The acidity in the vinegar and lemon helps to stabilize the egg whites.
• If you are using a copper mixing bow, DO NOT ADD the vinegar or lemon juice as it will turn your meringue grey.
• If you over whisk your egg whites, they will become stiff and wooley like, you will need to start again.
• If you are drawing templates on your grease proof paper, turn the paper over so the print does not transfer to thebase of the pav.
• Wash your mixing bowl and whisk attachment with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly (avoid residual fat & grease as it will prevent the egg white from whisking). 
• If the egg yolk* splits, even the smallest amount will prevent the egg whites from whisking due to the fat content. Always separate the eggs one at a time in a separate bowl to avoid contaminating all of the eggs.