I died, went to heaven and came back to ground reality all in one bite. There was just so much going on in one bite...so many textures, so many flavours and sensations. Picture a crispy meringue shell with a marshmallow soft centre, luscious cream and a mountain of fresh fruit. It's such a graceful dessert, and yet so intoxicating. I'm addicted.
It's also a great hit at dinner parties for its novelty and easy to make recipe. You can easily portion them into glasses or small bowls for individual servings and you can make the meringues ahead of time.
Pavlovas are relatively easy to make and the ingredients are pantry staples. I have a confession to make however, I've tried to make meringues multiple times, but failed miserably. I tried whisking egg whites with my hands and progressed to using hand mixers, but nothing works except a stand mixer. If you don't own a stand mixer like KitchenAid, don't even try attempting this dish. But if you do own one, you can whip up this dessert in under 10mins (minus baking time).
Makes one large (approx 12") Pavlova
4 egg whites
250g castor sugar
1tsp vinegar
1tsp cornflour
1tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
5000gms stawberries, halved
3tbsp icing sugar
1tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
250ml cream
1tsp icing sugar
Pre-heat oven to 150C. In a stand mixer, whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Now whisk in the sugar one tablespoon at a time, until the meringue looks glossy.
Whisk in the rest of the ingredients. To bake the pavlova use a silpat or line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread the meingue in a circular fashion. Spread it such that the sides are a little higher than the middle.
Bake for 1hr and let the pavlova cool completely inside the oven.
For the topping:
Whisk cream with a pinch of icing sugar, till it swells up a bit. I don't recommend adding too much sugar to the cream as the meringue and strawberry mixture already contain quite a bit of sugar. The cream cuts the sweetness beautifully.
In a saucepan pan, add the halved strawberries with sugar. Heat on a low flame till the sugar dissolves, then bring to a simmer. Cover pan and cook for 2-3mins. Cool, and add balsamic vinegar if you like. What we've made here is a basic compote which can be stored for two weeks and can be used to top anything from pancakes and waffles, to scones, to even bread.
Once the meringue is cool, spread the cream over the meringue followed by the strawberries. Drizzle the strawberry syrup over the meringue and serve.
To serve as my de-constructed version, cut out part of the meringue and crush with your fingers to form rough sized crumbs. Drizzle cream on top of the crumbs and place individual pieces of strawberry on top. Bring it all together by drizzling some strawberry syrup.
I honestly find this de-constructed way the best way to serve. Its easier to portion out, plus less messy to cut.
P.S: I'm going to let you in on a discovery I made. I stored the leftover Pavlova over night and tried it the next day, and it tasted even better. Try eating your Pavlova cold rather than room temperature. The meringue has a beautiful silky, custard like taste and texture. It is beyond tasty.
