Vanilla Pavlova

The infamous pavlova is crunchy on the outside, creamy and soft on the inside. The immense contrast in texture comes from slow baking it in the oven at a low temperature. This quality of the pavlova fascinates and intimidates a lot of people. But rest assured, cause with this recipe, you'll achieve the perfect texture and flavour every time—the classic vanilla flavour pairs perfectly with fresh whipped cream and berries. Pavlovas are genuinely a treat for the soul!

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Pavlova

3 Eggs whites

¾ cup Granulated sugar

1 tbsp Vanilla extract

1 tbsp Cornflour

½ tsp Cream of Tartar

Topping

1 cup Heavy Cream

10g melted Milk chocolate

Strawberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

Method

Step 1 - Pavlova

Preheat the oven to 110°c. Line a baking tray with parchment paper—separate egg yolks from egg whites. In a large bowl on medium speed, beat egg whites till soft peaks. Then, add the sugar 1 Tbsp at a time and beat it until it dissolves.

Step 2

Once all the sugar is added, beat till stiff peaks. Scarpe down the bowl, add vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds. Then add cornflour and cream of tartar, and beat for another 30 seconds on high.

Step 3

Trace/draw a heart on the parchment paper, then flip the paper and place the baking tray. Add the meringue to a piping bag and pipe over the heart. With an offset spatula, flatten the surface and sharpen the edges of the heart.

Step 4

Now place the tray in the last rack of the oven. Place another tray on the first rack, so there's no direct light on the pavlova. Bake for 1 hr 15 mins. And let the pavlova rest in the oven for a minimum of 2 hrs or overnight to prevent cracking.

Step 5- Whipped Cream

Place a bowl and beaters in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once cold, remove it from the freezer and add heavy cream to the bowl. Beat the cream with a hand beater on medium speed till you achieve soft peaks, then reduce the speed and beat till stiff peaks form. Add the whipped to a piping bag and place in the refrigerator till ready to assemble.

Step 6 - Assembly

Take the pavlova out of the oven. Carefully lift it from the parchment paper and place it on a plate. Pipe the whipped cream on top and add strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and melted milk chocolate. Serve immediately.

Tips

1. Make sure no yolk leaks into the egg whites during separation.

2. Don't dump a lot of sugar at once in the egg whites; it might deflate the meringue.

3. Once stiff peaks are achieved, make sure not to overbeat the meringue.

4. You can flip your bowl to check if your meringue is ready, it should hold its structure, and nothing should fall off.

5. Make sure that the meringue is on the bottom shelf in the oven.

6. Let the pavlova rest in the oven as much as possible to prevent cracking.

7. While assembling, be gentle with the pavlova and don't add more fruits than required as it might collapse the roof.

8. Check out my zesty pavlova recipe with mango curd https://www.iriswritesrecipes.com/post/pavlova