Pavlova
I used to work as an in house graphic designer for an opera company. Yes, I used to have another life before blogging! It was a great job, and I especially loved the special events that I was in charge of decorating. But, back today’s post. I had a co-worker who was originally from New Zealand, and he generously gave me his mom’s delicious pavlova recipe. At the time, 16 years ago I had no idea what pavlova was. According to Wikipedia, it is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. This dish is believed to have been created in honor of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia or New Zealand in the 1920s. I guess there has been an argument between New Zealand and Australia as to which country this dessert originated from. Formal research indicated New Zealand as the source. In the two countries, it is a favorite dish for holidays and summertime. I agree that when the fruit is fresh in the summer, this dessert is the best dish to grace any party!
Pavlova Cake
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
4 egg whites
6 oz heavy cream
Fresh fruit
Sift sugar and cornstarch together twice. Beat egg whites until foamy.
Then add half the sugar mixture and beat until egg whites stand in peaks.
Next, add the rest of the sugar and corn starch and beat until the sugar is well blended. The meringue is done when you have stick peaks and when you place a little bit of the mixture on your fingers you shouldn’t feel any grains of sugar.
Place your meringue on a nonstick cookie sheet, or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the mixture in a circle and add a scalloped edge. To make the scallop design make a circle and then put little dollops on the edges and blend with the circle.
Bake for 2-3 hours in a 275-degree oven. Bake until dry and crisp and the meringue lifts off the parchment paper easily. Leave the meringue in the oven and wedge the door open with a wooden spoon. Cool in the oven slowly since this prevents cracks in the meringue.
Store in airtight container.
Assembling Your Pavlova Dessert
You can make the meringue base ahead of time, like a day or two. The bottom of the meringue will start to liquefy after a bit so don’t make it too far in advanced. Also, the meringue tends to crack, don’t panic since most of this dessert is covered in whip cream and fruit, so just patch it up and carry on! In the meantime, whip the cream and add a small amount of sugar and vanilla. Whip until cream is thick and then place a layer of it on top of the meringue. The cream can be just spread in a layer about 1/2 inches thick. With your cut fruit arrange a layer starting in the middle and working out. Have fun with the fruit and the colors, this is the best part of this dessert since it looks so amazing and it will impress your friends!
The eggs are looking foamy and it is ready for the first half of the sugar mixture.
egg whites are stiff and standing up, and it is ready for the second batch of sugar and corn starch.
This is how it looks, all thick and ready to smooth out on a cookie sheet.
This is how the baked meringue will look like out of the oven.
This is my antique cake stand that makes a nice presentation of the pavlova. So dig out your cake stand and decorate it with this yummy and impressive dessert.
Thanks so much for your lovely visit and make sure to check out my other great recipes!
Cheers,
I named my blog Happy Happy Nester because I love everything related to the home. I’ve always enjoyed decorating my surroundings. Get cozy and stay for a bit, thanks for visiting!
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Shirley Wood
It sounds delicious and it is always fun to eat pretty food! This post is one of my Features at the new Merry Monday party this Sunday. So glad you share with us! I’m looking forward to your new shares!
happyhappynester
Hi Shirley,
Gosh, thanks so much for choosing me for your Merry Monday party. I have had some blog links problems so can I ask that your link that you use is a new one? Rather than using the one that I placed on your party, come on over and grab the link. Thanks and I’m trying to fix my blog soon! Thanks for your visit and your comment!
Erlene
This is such an easy dessert with an impressive presentation factor. Love it! Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.
Leanna
This is a beautiful recipe. Sharing and pinning. So perfect for the end of summer when all the fresh fruit is in season. Yum.