I love a pavlova and I’m keeping it simple for this one – meringue, cream and fruit. What’s not to love?!
A pavlova is a perfect summer bake as although it needs a long while in the oven, it bakes at a very low temperature, so it’s not going to make your kitchen all hot and uncomfortable.
You can bake the meringue a few days ahead of time too, just wrap it up well in cling film or pop it into an airtight container and store in a cool dry place until you’re ready to add the lovely whipped cream and fruit of your choice. Once you’ve added the cream and fruit you’ll need to keep the pavlova in the fridge, so make sure you clear a shelf ready.
I’ve put 300ml of cream on the recipe as that’s the size of the pot I usually buy. If your pot has a little more or a little less, that will be perfect too. If you need a dairy free cream alternative, I use the Elmlea double plant cream alternative.
Meringues require the whites of the eggs only – you can use the yolks in another recipe, or add them to your scrambled eggs to make them extra luxurious! One extra yolk to two whole eggs does the job.
You’ll need to separate the eggs into yolks and whites for meringue and there are many ways of doing this. I tip the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell over a bowl to catch the whites in. Have a second bowl ready to drop the yolk into. Importantly, the fresher your eggs, the easier it will be to separate the yolks from the whites.
Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are squeaky clean as any greasy residue will inhibit your egg whites and they won’t whisk into the stiff meringue you need for your pavlova.
You need and electric mixer for this recipe, whether that’s a stand mixer or a hand mixer – either will do the job perfectly well. If you’re using a stand mixer, use your whisking attachment for this one rather than the trusty beater.
Pavlova – serves 8
Ingredients:
- 4 medium egg whites
- 250g caster sugar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 300ml double cream or whipping cream
- fresh fruit – I used strawberries but please use whatever you fancy!
Preheat your oven to 150°C/130°C fan/Gas 2
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment paper. I like to draw around a dinner plate on the centre of the paper, then flip the paper over so the circle is on the underside (otherwise your pen or pencil mark will stain your meringue!) This circle is the guide for your meringue shape when you come to spreading it onto the paper ready for baking.
Whisk the egg whites until they’re white in colour and the texture is lovely and thick and fluffy.
They should hold their shape when you lift the whisk from the bowl.
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, keeping your whisk running.
As you add the sugar your meringue will become less fluffy and more shiny and smooth.
Take your time with this step as the sugar needs time to dissolve into the meringue.
Once all your sugar has all been absorbed into the shiny meringue, add the vinegar and cornflour and whisk again.
Spread your meringue onto your prepared baking tray, using the circle as a guide.
Bake for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside to cool for another 1 – 2 hours.
Whip your cream until it forms soft peaks. It should be smooth and voluminous and hold its shape when you lift the whisk.
Spread your whipped cream evenly over the pavlova and top with fruit.
Serve immediately or store in the fridge and enjoy within a couple of days.
Top tip – if you have lots of strawberries to hull, use a drinking straw. Just push the straw into the pointy bottom of the strawberry and push it straight up through the strawberry until it pops out of the top taking the green leaves with it! This won’t work with a paper straw but a metal reusable one does the job brilliantly. Just be sure to clean your straw thoroughly as soon as you’ve finished.
Enjoy!
Abi – The Brownie Lady
