Ingredients
* 4 egg whites (room temperature eggs)
* Pinch salt (optional)
* 155 gms/2/3 cup caster sugar (this is super fine white sugar)
* 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
* 300 ml/ 1 1/4 cups double cream (heavy or clotted cream) for topping
* Strawberries, kiwis for topping; possibly passionfruit
[edit] Steps
1. Assemble the ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven at 150潞C (300潞F).
3. Prepare a baking tray (round or rectangular is fine, as long as it's large enough for a dinner plate sized circle). Place baking paper or foil on the tray to prevent the mixture from sticking. Since this dessert is quite prone to sticking, if you are using foil, lightly spray some oil on it. The baking paper alone should usually suffice without spray.
4. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Keep the yolks for a different recipe, or make an omelette later.
5. Beat the egg whites with a food mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes, or beat with an egg whisk, until stiff peaks form. If using the salt (optional), add it at this step.
6. Add the sugar, vinegar, vanilla and hot water to the egg whites. Use light mixing strokes to mix in these ingredients, so as not to over beat the mixture (this could make it chewy).
7.
Smoothed out %26amp; rounded
Smoothed out %26amp; rounded
Spoon the mixture onto the tray when soft white peaks form. Pavlovas should be round with a little hollow that takes the cream and topping, so it helps to imagine that you're making a nest shape. It should be approximately dinner plate roundness in size.
8. Smooth out the circle and then create a small indented hollow in the center, with slightly raised edges. If your shape is on the wonky side of circular, don't worry too much about how accurate the circular shape is - creative misshapes are permissible as long as the topping stays put.
9. Pop into the center of the oven. Cook for 60-70 minutes, or until crisp. Don't let it over-brown; it should be an off-white color on the outside.
10. Prepare the toppings while you wait; whip the cream so that it forms soft peaks; slice your strawberries and kiwis or other toppings. If there's time left, research the origins of the pavlova and make up your own mind about who invented it.
11. Remove the pavlova from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
12. Place the cooled pavlova on a serving dish and prepare to add the toppings.
* There's a tradition to turn the pavlova over and decorate the base because it is said that this side is less crisp. Sometimes this reason is actually a nifty cover-up trick for little cooking mistakes like over-browning the top and the easy answer is - to turn it upside down... It's a personal choice. The pavlova center will quickly lose its initial crispness anyway because of the whipped cream and topping.
13. Add the whipped cream. If you're patient, spread it out to the edges evenly; if you're impatient, just dollop it on.
14. Add the fruit toppings or other topping ideas (see Tips below). Another popular tradition is to drizzle freshly opened passion fruit over the top of the pavlova, just by itself on the cream or over both the cream and fruit topping.
15. Serve. The beauty of a pavlova is in the eye of the creator; everyone else just wants to eat it. Don't be surprised at how quickly your creation disappears.
[edit] Tips
* Pavlova is best eaten day it is made; it goes soggy and absorbs fridge odors quickly if left longer.
* Other topping ideas include (usually on the whipped cream): Mixture of berries; cherries (pitted); apricot or peach halves; grated dark chocolate; raspberries%26amp; chocolate mix; mango slices etc.
* You can also flavor the cream if you'd like - try vanilla essence, rosewater, orange water, lemon essence etc.
* Use eggs that are room temperature for the best results.
* Some pavlova recipes use cornflour as an ingredient. If you'd like to try this, delete the hot water and add 2 level teaspoons cornflour. It's really a personal choice as to what you prefer. It should be folded in lightly with the sugar, vinegar and vanilla.
* Although whipped cream is traditional, you might like to vary the whipped cream with other soft creamy like substances such as custard. This would be frowned upon by traditionalists but experimental cooks have creative license.
* A dainty variation is to make this mixture as outlined but to create four ';mini pavlovas';. Just spoon out four evenly sized dollops on the tray and cook as instructed above, but only for 50 minutes. These will cook as little ';puffs'; and won't have the hollow; they are best served with a dob of cream on top and a berry coulis drizzled over the top (or serve the cream to the side of the plate). This is a lovely wedding, buffet or cocktail idea but you'll need to adjust the ingredient amounts depending on how many serves you need.
[edit] Warnings
* Disasters that may befall a pavlova include: Browned too much from overcooking; burning because you forgot to take it out on time; or sinking because you got impatient and opened the door too soon. If it is over browned, it'll probably be chewy - but there are people who like it chewy; just slather on lots of cream and topping. If it burns, cut off the burned bits and slather the remaining pavlova with cream and topping. If it sinks, slather it with cream and topping. While the ideal pavlova is symmetrical, balanced and clear of flaws, unless you're a chef, this is a very forgiving dessert and as long as it still tastes good, people won't really notice. If it is completely burned, crumbly or sunken, compost it and start again.Anyone got any recipes how to make fruit pavlova?
Fruit Filled Pavlova
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups deli fruit salad, well drained, OR 2 cups mixed fresh fruit
3/4 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp. superfine sugar, powdered sugar, or Passover powdered sugar
Preparation:
Place the egg whites in a small mixing bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, draw a 10 inch circle on a piece of wax paper and place (writing-side down) on a baking sheet.
Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until very stiff peaks form and sugar is almost dissolved (about 5 minutes).
Using the back of a spoon, spread meringue onto the circle, building the sides up to form a shell. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 35 minutes. Turn off the oven and let shell dry in the oven, with the door closed for one hour. Remove the shell from baking sheet and pull off wax paper. Cool completely.
Whip cream with 2 Tbsp. sugar and fold into fruit salad. Pile this mixture into the meringue shell and serve. Serves 6-8 Serves 8
PS This recipe sounds so good I'm going to have to make it as well! Enjoy
6 Egg Whites
12oz Caster Sugar
1teas Cornflour
1/2teas White Vinegar
1/2teas Vanilla Extract
Whisk egg whites until stiff, fold in 1/2 sugar, then whisk in remainder and rest of ingredients. Bake on a sheet of silicone gas 2 for approx 45 mins
Topping
1pt Double Cream - whipped to soft peaks
1pkt. Summer Fruits/Fruit of the Forrest (Defrosted)
In all seriousness..listen to the song Pavlova by Rolf Harris....it lists the ingredients for a good pavlova...in the way that only Rolf can (complete with wobble board and panting!)
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