The Best Pavlova
This impressive dessert is easy to make. Once you have prepared the meringue mixture, bake it immediately; otherwise it will collapse and begin to ‘weep’.
Ingredients
Serves: 8
- FOR THE MERINGUE
- 8 egg whites
- 375g caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 2 teaspoons brown vinegar
- large pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
- FOR THE FILLING
- 310ml cream, for whipping
- 250g strawberries, halved
- 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
- 90g passionfruit pulp
Directions
Preparation:20min ›
Cook:1hour10min ›
Ready in:1hour30min
- Use a large baking tray; line with baking paper. Mark a 23cm circle on it as a guide for the meringue. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
- In a large, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with electric beaters on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and beat continuously until mixture is firm and glossy and sugar has dissolved. Beat in vanilla, then the vinegar and salt. Sift the cornflour and fold in.
- Using a spatula, spread mixture over marked circle. Straighten sides, making them higher than the centre. Bake for 10 minutes in the centre of the oven.
- Reduce temperature to 120 degrees C. Bake for a further hour. Remove pavlova from oven and leave to cool completely. Whip the cream until firm; chill.
- Just before serving, top pavlova with whipped cream. Decorate with strawberries and banana and drizzle passionfruit pulp over the top. Or, decorate with 3 peeled and sliced kiwi fruit, arranged in rounds; top with the passionfruit pulp.
Top Tale
Australia and New Zealand each staked claims for the pavlova's invention. Recipes for a fruit-filled meringue began to appear in New Zealand in 1926, at a time when acclaimed ballerina Anna Pavlova was taking the country by storm. Australia came in second with Bert Sachse, a chef at the Esplanade Hotel in Perth, claiming to have created the dessert in 1935, after Pavlova stayed at the hotel.
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Reviews (13)
This is the second time I made pavlova.(both attempts produced fab results) First time I made Pav, it was with a different recipe than the one here, but I remember choosing that recipe for the same reason I choose this one - it had a high egg white to sugar ratio. Most Pav recipes I come across use 4 whites and jsut sound so sweet to me. I rather the sweet be in the topping (ie sauce, berries &/or cream) This recipe gave me perfect results. A delicate, cripsy outside and perfect marshmallowy inside. It sunk a little (i'm guessing a wee bit of grease found its way in somewhere) but it still looked gorgeous and tasted divine! I'd be curious to try this same recipe with golden castor sugar or regular sugar (just to see what kind of diffence that would make) and BROWN vinegar vs cider. But overall, Im sold on using 8 egg whites! Fab recipe! - 27 Dec 2008
I have made this many times and it always turns out perfect. I actually used this recipe to make an amazing three tiered wedding cake topped with fresh fruits for my friends wedding! - 07 Jan 2010
Altered ingredient amounts. I used cider vinegar because I thought that was the same as brown vinegar but tasted fine. I also made a raspberry reduction sauce and folded it into the whip cream. Topped it with berries (couldnt get passionfruit) and chocolate flakes - yum! - 27 Dec 2008
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