Home Made - an Aussie Pav

A Real Aussie Pavlova

This recipe makes a crisp outer meringue with a marshmallowy centre.

Pavlova with strawberries and fruit salad

Ingredients:

4 egg whites (5, if eggs are small)

pinch salt

1 cup castor sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon cornflour

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (356 Fahrenheit) (not fan-forced, Bake mode only)

~ line a flat oven tray with either silver foil* or baking paper

~ set out the vanilla essence, cornflour and vinegar (don't want any delays when time comes to add them)

Place egg whites and pinch of salt in clean dry 

mixing bowl and beat full speed until 

soft peaks appear 

Gradually beat in sugar (beating well between
each addition of a heaped Tablespoon)
until dissolved and stiff peaks are formed and
until mixture looks smooth and silky like satin

Once all the sugar has been beaten in,
add the vanilla essence, vinegar and cornflour
and fold into mixture as shown in next pic

Using a bowl scraper, gently fold in the
vanilla essence, vinegar and cornflour
(only long enough for the vanilla essence
to disappear)

Turn out the meringue on to covered oven tray

Spread out meringue, with the back of a large
spoon, to the desired shape
(bearing in mind the pavlova will slightly enlarge
in height and width as it cooks)

When placing in the oven, turn temp down to
120 deg celsius (248 F) and cook for 90 minutes,
then turn down to as low as oven can go for
a further 10 minutes
DO NOT open the oven door.
Leave to cool in closed oven, preferably overnight
or at very least until oven is totally cool

Finished Pavlova ready for whipped cream, sliced
stawberries, kiwi fruit, banana,
passionfruit, fruit salad, peppermint flaky bar...
any or all or a combo - enjoy :D

A few more tips:

* ~ if lining oven tray with foil, just before turning meringue out on to it, slightly moisten top of foil with cold water (stops sticking afterwards)

~ make sure egg whites are at room temperature before beating

~ sugar must be thoroughly beaten until dissolved before another portion of sugar is added.... shoving in a whole lot at the end and beating for a long time won't work, believe me, I tried it once when I was in a hurry. The undissolved sugar oozes out of the bottom of the cooked pav and results in a sticky mess (although it still tastes ok!)

~ the pavlova can be made well in advance if, once cool, it's stored in an air-tight plastic container.  I've kept one for as long as 5 days - it probably would've lasted longer but members of our family can sniff out a pav a mile away!!

Enjoy, Susan :D)