Australian Pavlova Recipes

AUSTRALIAN PAVLOVA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 225ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and trace a 9 inch circle on the paper.
• 2. Beat eggwhites until stiff peaks form. Add superfine sugar gradually. Beat for a total of about 10 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Add cream of tartar. Beat for 1 minute. Spoon mixture onto circle. Using a spatula, shape into a circle with high sides. Make ridges up the sides.
• 3. Bake for 1 hour or until firm. Turn off the oven. Allow pavlova to cool in oven with door slightly ajar.
• 4. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
• 5. Place pavlova on a serving plate. Top with whipped cream mixture. Arrange fruit on top. Serve.
• 6. NOTE: In the US, powdered sugar, or confectioners sugar or icing sugar (used in the whipped cream) is sugar with added cornstarch. It often comes in a bag similar to brown sugar. However, the sugar used with the egg whites is super-fine sugar which is granulated sugar, but much finer. If you can't find it in your local store, you can make your own by putting regular granulated sugar in a blender and pulsing it for a few seconds. I've also used my immersion blender to turn regular sugar into super fine sugar. I can sometimes find it in the baking section of a store and it comes in a carton like 1/2 gallon of milk.

THE BEST PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment. An easy way to do this is to draw around the outside of a 9 inch pan with a pencil.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar gradually, while continuing to whip. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved. Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cornstarch; lightly fold into meringue with lemon juice.
• Spread a layer of meringue to fit circle on parchment, approximately 1/4 inch thick. With remainder of mixture, pipe or spoon swirls around the edges to form a shallow bowl shape.
• Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour. Turn off oven, but leave meringue in oven for an additional 30 minutes. When cool, the meringue should be hard on the outside, and slightly moist on the inside.
• In a large bowl, combine the cream and half a cup of confectioners sugar, and whip until thickened. Decorate with fruit of your choice; strawberries are excellent.

AUSTRALIAN PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Place the egg whites in a small mixing bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, draw a 10 inch circle on a piece of wax paper and place (writing-side down) on a baking sheet. Variation: Draw 10 four inch circles on the wax paper.
• Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until very stiff peaks form and sugar is almost dissolved (about 5 minutes).
• Using the back of a spoon, spread meringue onto the circle, building the sides up to form a bowl.
• Bake in a 300oF oven for 35 minutes. Turn off the oven and let shell dry in the oven, with the door closed for one hour. Remove the shell from baking sheet and pull off wax paper. Store in an airtight container. Will keep indefinitely.
• The traditional filling is simply fresh fruit of your choice and whipped cream and topped with fruit sauce. Another good one is ice cream, nuts, fruit and sauce ("banana split").

AUSTRALIAN PAVLOVA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 275 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and draw an 8-inch circle as a guide for the pavlova. Turn paper over so pencil is facing down. Sprinkle a small amount of extra corn starch lightly on the circle so pavlova does not stick.
• 2. When separating eggs, be careful there is NO yolk in the whites as this will keep whites from beating properly. In a large very clean bowl, beat whites and pinch of salt til glossy and softly peak. Do not overbeat. Add the superfine sugar 1 Tbsp at a time until mixture makes firm, glossy peaks, but is not dry. Sift corn starch softly over whites and fold in with lemon juice and vanilla.
• 3. Spoon mixture over the circle, mounding in center and then spread outward to make a circle with a slight depression in the center. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven and cool in oven for 2 hours. Store in airtight container. Best if served the same day. If it cracks or sinks, fill with cream when finishing just before serving.
• 4. Remove parchment paper and place pavlova on cake stand or plate for serving. Just before serving, beat the cream with the powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Fill depression across the top of pavlova with the whipped cream and sprinkle cream with your choice of fruit. Sliced strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, fresh pineapple, passionfruit or what you like. Do not add cream and fruit ahead of time as will make the meringue soggy.