Pavlova

Feeds 6-8

My sister is the official pavlova maker in our family. And when you have one dedicated to a dish the rest of us don’t really ever turn our mind to making it, only eating it. However she assures me she has a very slap dash method… which is right up my alley… so here we go!! Tips from the Pavlova Master (my sister)…

Use fresh eggs which are at room temperature (not cold). The membrane between the yolk and the white is stronger and there is less risk of it breaking and bleeding yolk as you separate them.
When separating the eggs don’t let a skerrick of the yolk bleed into the egg white. Unfortunately if it does discard the eggs and start again. Any trace of egg yolk will spoil the pavlova. Using fresh eggs is your best bet against avoiding a disaster.
If you live in a humid environment you must store it in an airtight container.
Use the remaining egg yolks to make custard, omelette, portuguese tarts, icecream. Or give them to a friend who will use them. Don’t throw them away.
Egg whites can be frozen. Just freeze them in batches of 3 egg whites. Bring them to room temperature before you use them.
Finally, don’t be scared… just give it a go and if it’s a fail serve it as an eton mess. It’ll still taste great.

Ingredients - Pavlova Meringue

3 egg whites
Pinch salt
3/4 cup caster sugar (used at beginning) +
1/4 cup caster sugar (blended with cornflour and stirred through at the end)
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Ingredients - Topping

1 1/4 cups thickened cream (312.5 ml), whipped
1 punnet strawberries (200 grams), washed and cut in half
1 kiwi fruit, skin removed and sliced
1 passionfruit, seeds, flesh and juice removed from skin and set aside
Optional: banana and caramel, mango and raspberries, blueberries and flaked chocolate

Method - Preparation

Preheat the oven to 130oC on the roast or non-fan setting.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place a 20cm round baking tin on top of the baking paper and trace around the outside. The round circle is your guide for forming a lovely round pavlova. To stop the paper from sliding around, just pop a spoonful of meringue underneath the paper before plopping the rest of the meringue in the round circle you’ve drawn.

Method - Pavlova Meringue

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form, using a stand mixer or hand mixer using the whisk attachment. When done, the egg should hang onto the end of the beater and keep it’s shape when lifted from the bowl.
Add 3/4 cup caster sugar in 4 batches making sure you beat well after each addition.
Having added the 3/4 cup caster sugar keep beating until all the sugar is dissolved. This should take between 2 - 3 minutes. To check, take a little of the egg meringue and rub it between you thumb and index finger. If the sugar is not dissolved it will feel gritty. Don’t be too fussy about this. A little grit (especially if you press hard between your fingers) is fine.
In a separate bowl mix together the ¼ cup of caster sugar and cornflour.
Finally, fold the sugar/cornflour mix and lemon juice into the beaten egg whites (meringue).
Carefully dollop the meringue into the round circle on the baking paper. Spread the meringue into shape using a silicone spatula or metal offset spatula. To create some texture use a knife to make some swirls and little peaks. These will be the caramelised bits everyone will argue over.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
In the first 15 minutes of cooking, check to see if it’s browning too quickly. If so turn down the oven to 120oC.
Once done, turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in the oven until it is completely cool.
Once it’s completely cool, if you are serving it straight away, decorate with whipped cream and fruit.
If you are serving it later, store it in an airtight container. And when you are ready to serve, decorate it with the whipped cream and fruit. It will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days.
You can double the recipe for a bigger pavlova. It's harder to store. Extend the cooking time by about 15 -30 minutes.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse