Pavlova (no fail)

The art of a perfect pav, it is not that hard. I will share my wisdom so you too can create a perfect pav, full of marshmallow and light crust. Heaven as it touches your taste buds.

Beat your pav in the smallest mixer bowl, or a narrow tallish bowl so that the beaters are covered in the mixture, beating the life out of it on the highest speed. After beating for 10 minutes, before adding the cornflour mix, if there are no sugar grains when you do a taste test then you have it licked (yummily).

4 egg whites (straight out of the fridge)
1 1/4 c caster sugar
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp cornflour

Topping:
Sweetened whipped cream
Fresh fruit: Strawberries, raspberries, kiwifruit, mandarins, or bananas.

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Beat egg whites till stiff.
Gradually add caster sugar while beating. Beat on high speed for ten minutes.
Then while beating add the vanilla essence, vinegar, then cornflour.
Beat on high speed for four minutes.
Line an oven tray with baking paper and draw a 20cm-diameter circle on the paper (or use a side plate).
Place mixture on, spreading mixture to a 18 centimetre circle.
Turn oven down to 100°C. Pace tray in oven.
Bake for one hour. Turn oven off and leave pavlova in oven to cool, or leave in overnight. Cover with whipped cream and fruit.

Pavlova tips
– The pavlova mixture is ready when the merangue is thick and looks glossy.
– If your oven runs hot, reduce recommended cooking temperature by 10 degrees Celsius.
– Pavlova does not freeze. They can be stored in an airtight container but are best served on the day of making, particularly in humid areas.

For fillings – place lemon curd between the pav and cream, or this absolutely delicious Lemon filling for pavlova, ultra yum which also makes use of the egg yolks; and custard also is good.

The history of the pavlova is one of New Zealand’s intriguing, but a Meringue Cake appeared in the 1926 edition cookbook ‘Futter’s Home Cookery for New Zealand’, and in that same year the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova visited New Zealand. A chef made this dessert using this merigue cake in honour of Anna Pavlova (as a tribute to the light and graceful dancer), it is said due to this the Pavlova in New Zealand was born. (Strangely, yet perhaps typically, the Australians claim they created the Pavlova in 1935).