Nothing says pudding like Pavlova

Christmas has come and gone, and we've been enjoying some lovely time with family. From the better-late-than-never file, here's our Christmas pavlova. I've been working on tweaking the cooking times and temperatures to get a more consistent bake. Pavs can be notoriously tricky to get right, so if yours isn't as pretty as you'd like, rest assured it's nothing that a good slathering of whipped cream and some fruit wont cover. 

Summer Pavlova

6 egg whites
1.5 cups caster sugar
1.5 tablespoons maize cornflour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon white vinegar

1.5 cups cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
an assortment of seasonal fruit for decoration


Preheat the oven to 125deg. C and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

In a scrupulously clean beater bowl, beat the egg whites using a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. 








    
In a bowl, combine the caster sugar and cornflour. 











Add the sugar mix to the whites 3 tablespoons at a time, beating well in between each addition. The mixture will turn silky and shiny as the sugar is added. It should be very thick and stand up in peaks when the beater whisk is raised. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, add the vinegar and vanilla and beat until it is incorporated. 





Using a large spatula, spoon the pavlova mixture onto the lined baking sheet. 

Form it into a nice high round disk shape. 









Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 125deg. C., then turn the oven down to 100deg. and bake a further 1 hour. 











After the hour is up, turn the oven off and leave the pavlova in there to cool. 
Once it's totally cold transfer it to a serving plate. If you don't think it will come off the paper in one piece, leave it on and trim the paper neatly around the edges. 







Whip the cream until thick, then fold in the second measure of icing sugar and vanilla. Spread it on the pavlova and add as much fruit as you would like. 

Here's our Christmas dessert spread: Pavlova, Pineapple Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Tiramisu and Sherry Log. 
Have a lovely holiday season with your family and friends xx