What do you think of when you hear “pavlova”? For me, it brings memories to my mind of baking the Christmas pavlova with my Grandma in her kitchen when I was younger. The pavlova is still a staple Christmas dessert at our house, and this is the recipe I use each year (pictured). Why not kick off the 2017 festive season by giving this pavlova a try? Guarantee you’ll have your friends and family impressed!
The recipe below is for a large (8 egg) pav. If you’re looking to make a smaller pav, opt for 4 eggs (halving the recipe) or 6 eggs (3/4 of measurements below). Happy baking!!
Ingredients:
8 egg whites
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 rounded tablespoons cornflour
Vanilla essence
Topping:
Thickened cream, whipped with icing sugar
Fresh fruit
Passionfruit pulp/fruit couli
Method:
- Preheat oven to 110oC Fan Forced.
- Cover baking tray with alfoil, and grease with oil lightly (this helps to prevent sticking).
- With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff (form peaks). Gradually add caster sugar, beating until the sugar is nearly dissolved and mixture thickens.
- Beat in cornflour and white vinegar with a whisk. Add a few drops of vanilla essence to taste.
- Place heaped spoons of mixture (forming peaks) to cover the tray in a circular pattern. The mixture should be stiff enough so each spoonful holds its shape (and peak) on the tray. Once the tray is covered, continue with a second layer on the top of the first, continuing to form peaks with the spoon.
- Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours (even if you have changed egg and ingredient ratios). Once finished, leave to cool in the oven for a minimum of two hours.
- Before serving, top with fresh whipped cream and fruit. Drizzle with pulp or couli.
Happy baking! If you do give this a try, please share your experience in the comments below. Alternatively, tag your pavlova creation on instagram using @thesportofbaking.
L x
