Saturday, February 11, 2012

Pavlova

Meringue is not hard to make, and Pavlova is mostly meringue, so it too is not difficult. There are a few tips that help to make perfect Pavlova.

  • First make sure your bowl is spotlessly clean, any grease and your egg whites will not whisk up nicely.
  • Use your eggs at room temperature.
  • When separating the eggs make sure not a trace of yoke is in the white, the lipids in the yoke will prevent it from whisking up.
  • Add some acid -a little lemon juice or vinegar will do. This helps to stabilise the whites.
  • Cornflour is also a useful addition to help keep it stabilised.

Pavlova

Ingredients

4 egg whites
250g caster sugar
pinch salt
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon vinegar ( I use raspberry vinegar)
300ml double cream
fruit of choice.

Method

Preheat oven to 200C.
Whisk egg whites and salt to stiff peaks.
Add caster sugar one spoonful at a time and continue whisking until glossy.
Fold in vinegar and cornflour.
Spread mixture onto greaseproof paper in a rough circle, peaking up the edges.
Turn oven down to 150C and bake for 90 minutes.
Turn oven off, leave pavlova in oven until cold.
Remove greaseproof paper, place on serving plate.
Decorate with whipped cream and fruit.