Pavlova

Cuisine: Australian

Cook Time: N/A

Serves: 4

Pavlovas are everything that kids can dream of!

It is the perfect dessert for all the kids who love devouring whipped cream and their moms looking for ways to balance it with the goodness of fresh fruits.

Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

List of ingredients:

Egg whites
Breakfast sugar
Vanilla extract
Lemon juice
Cornstarch
Heavy cream
Strawberries
Raspberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. To ensure you get a perfectly round base, draw an 8-inch circle on the parchment paper.
In a large bowl, slowly beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Gradually add about 1 tablespoon of sugar at a time, continuously beating well after each addition. Beat until the mixture is thick and glossy. Gently fold in cornstarch, lemon juice, and fresh vanilla extract (could be substituted by vanilla essence).
Scoop the mixture inside the 8-inch circle drawn on the parchment paper. Begin working from the center, spreading the mix towards the outside edge, making it into a dome-like shape.
Bake for 60 mins. After that, leave the pavlova on a wire rack to cool.
To finish, in a bowl, beat heavy cream until it can hold its shape (do not overbeat!). Set the cream aside. Remove the parchment paper, and place the freshly baked meringue on a flat base plate. Top the center of the meringue with whipped cream, and garnish with raspberries and strawberries.

Chef Tip: It is crucial to keep your meringue grainy or flat, so beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. But do not overbeat! Also, ensure that not a single drop of egg yolk or grease gets mixed with the egg whites, or the results will be disappointing.

Pavlova is best eaten the day it is made, so in case your kid doesn't finish it, consider it your lucky day!

Pure heaven in your mouth!

Quick Bites

Fun Fact

• The pavlova was named after the famed Russian dancer ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926.

• As the New Zealand story goes, the chef of a Wellington hotel at the time created the billowy dessert in her honor, claiming inspiration from her tutu.

Historical Fact

• The early history of pavlova can be traced to Australia, where recipes for a very similar dish have been found dating back to 1906, though this dish was only called a cream cake and did not yet bear the name ‘pavlova’.

• A 1922 book Australian home cookery by Emily Futter contained a recipe for “Meringue with Fruit Filling”. This is the first known recipe for food entirely resembling the modern pavlova, though not yet known by that name.

Nutrition Fact

• Pavlova is basically meringue, which is simply sugar combined with egg whites. It is an assortment of cream and sweet and juicy season fruits. This contributes a lot of saturated fat and sugar to your diet. Savoring this dish in moderation is your best bet!