Pavlova

So pavlova is a special dessert in Australia we always have it at Christmas and it is beautiful because we have the fluffy meringue pavlova and then beautiful delicate whipped cream and topped with refreshing fruit!! What more could you want!

(Also because this time is just a bit sad with social distancing and isolation there are some fun Australianisms in here to have a bit of fun)

Pavlova

- 4 egg whites (room temperature)

- 1 tsp white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

- 1 Tbsp cornflour/ corn starch

- 1 + ¼ cup caster sugar (or icing sugar)

- 1 tsp vanilla bean extract

Toppings

- 1 + ½ cup whipping cream (ice cold straight out of the fridge please)

- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

- 2 tsp caster sugar (plus extra for your strawberries)

- Fresh fruit for topping (we always love fruit

o 2 punnets of strawberries in about 1 tbsp sugar (this helps bring out their juices if you leave it for a couple hours or overnight!!)

o 1 kiwifruit, peel removed and chopped

o 1 small yellow peach, chopped

o 1 punnet of strawberries

- Electric mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment

- Large mixing bowl x 2

- baking paper (not wax paper this changes the base of the pavlova)

- Scraper

- Sieve

Take your room temperature egg whites and place them in a standing mixer with a whisk attachment (or handheld mixer) and beat until they reach soft peaks (about 2-3 minutes). Then continue to mix on a low speed and slowly add your caster sugar to the meringue one tablespoon at a time until it becomes beautiful and glossy. Please remember to scrape down the sides. Then add the vanilla bean and mix for 1 minute.

**Test it is done by rubbing some mixture between your fingers it should not feel grainy (if it does then continue to whisk until it is irresistibly smooth. (this is more common if you are using caster sugar, if you use icing sugar then it should not be grainy and is quicker.

Once the egg whites are smooth add the white vinegar on a low/medium speed for 10 seconds to combine. Then sift in the cornflour and gently fold this into the meringue only about 7-8 times until it is just incorporated.

Now to bake place a small dot of the meringue mixture onto your baking tray and then top with baking paper (this helps it stop moving). Now please use baking paper and not wax paper, sometimes wax paper can change the stickiness of the meringue on the base of the pavlova. Then scoop the mixture onto the paper and form it into a circular base like a nest to house your future whipped cream and fruit.

First, place the pavlova in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celcius (355 Fahrenheit) then once it is in turn down the heat to 130 degrees Celcius (265 Fahrenheit) and let it cook for about a minimum of an hour. This helps give that beautiful crusty outside and soft squishy pavlova inside. The next bit depends on your preference.

** If you like a softer inside like
marshmallow. Leave the pavlova in the oven for about 30 minutes extra with the oven turned off

**If you like a more crunchy meringue filling leave the pavlova in the oven overnight (oven off please!! Don’t forget) and this allows it to dry out a bit more. This is what my family prefers.

Whip the ice-cold cream on medium-low speed and then add your caster sugar and vanilla bean (This gives it a beautiful light and delicate flavour). Make sure not to overwhip the cream otherwise it can clot and look a bit like butter. We want it nice and fluffy

Wash all the fruit and chop as needed. A tip if you are adding strawberries is to chop some of them a couple of hours beforehand or overnight and sprinkle them with about 1 tbsp of sugar. This helps to bring out their juices and beautifully mixes over the other fruit and cream later (you will see just wait!).

To decorate dollop your cream over the pavlova and then arrange your fruit over the top until you are happy!!! (also this part of the video has the Australia-isms so either skip it or watch it if you want to learn some….. vital cultural information)

I hope that you like this recipe because it is a true favourite of mine!!!