The other night, we had a bit of surprise get-together in my sister's house for my brother's wife's 40th.
Get it?
Anyhoo, I was making some mini pavlovas for our surprise get-together, and even though I didn't have my camera and the camera I was using didn't have proper working batteries, I still thought I'd give you the pleasure of my poorly taken photos of the mini meringues, and if this isn't a cracker of a run-on sentence, I don't know what is.
Here are my ingredients: eggs, caster sugar, cornflour, vinegar and vanilla essence.
When the egg whites are stiff, I add the cornflour-vinegar-vanilla mix.
After this the caster sugar is added, one spoonful at a time, whilst whisking continually.
Dollop the mix onto baking paper,
and use the back of the spoon to make a well in the centre.
They are then ready to pop into the oven.
It's best to make pavlova in the evening, and when they are ready in the oven, turn off the oven, but leave the oven door closed.
Leave the pavlovas in overnight, but if you make them on a Saturday night to have for your Sunday dinner, please make sure that no one puts the oven on in the morning for the Sunday roast, before removing the pavlovas.
Why am I warning you of this?
... Yep, you guessed it. Been there, done that.
For the filling, because I'm not a great fan of cream, I mix whipping/double cream with strawberry yoghurt (or whichever flavour you prefer). If you mix yoghurt and cream in the same amount, it whisks well.
(A mixture of raspberry and peach flavoured yoghurts with the cream is lovely. Lubberly jubberly)
Pavlova
3 egg whites
7 oz caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Preheat oven to 150 C.
Mix cornfour, essence and vinegar in a cup. Set aside.
Beat egg whites until firm and fluffy. Add cornflour, essence and vinegar mixture. Add sugar slowly - tablespoonful at a time. Continue beating until mixture is stiff and shiny.
Place in the oven. After initial 15 mins, turn oven down to 75C. Leave in oven for additional 45 mins, and then turn oven off, but leave door closed for as long as possible, preferably overnight.
(I doubled this recipe. Sadly, I don't have photos of the finished pavlovas with the whisked cream/yoghurt and chopped strawberries on top. Oh, camera, how I miss thee.)
wow! sounds quite a treat!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds delicious! I've never had such a treat!
ReplyDeleteglad you can enjoy an Australian favourite in Great Britain!
ReplyDeleteDeanne, I had never realized this was an Australian dish until I read that the other day! We've been making it for years (it began for me in my Mum's kitchen a l-o-n-g time ago), so that was a new piece of info for me.
DeleteNot the only good thing to come out of Australia ;)
Don't you mean a kiwi classic dessert and one of many wonderful things to come out of New Zealand along with the All Blacks, my husband and 4 of my children! Sorry Anne (and Deanne!) as a NZ citizen I have to put the facts straight. The pavlova was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who visited both Australia and NZ in the 1920's. Although the Aussies claim it as their invention there is evidence that shows recipes for pavlovas were appearing in kiwi cookbooks long before the first recipe appeared in an Australian publication. You can read more here www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11897482. It's a long running dispute down under! Have to say after living in both countries I had lots more pavlovas in NZ. Once in a while it shows up on a dessert table here but in NZ there would be at least 3 at dessert nights - decorated with strawberries and kiwi fruit of course. More people there knew how to make them too! Other kiwi things the Aussies have claimed include the band Crowded House, actors Sam Neill and Russell Crowe until he does something stupid and then he becomes an NZer again!
ReplyDeleteI haven't checked the date of this blog as I write, but I have JUST made this - it's the recipe my mum uses!!!!! I made one big one, to be shared tomorrow at dinner.... Angela Toms
ReplyDelete