Afelia's Fruity Summer Pavlova
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 4 egg whites (from medium sized eggs)
  • a pinch of salt
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • 130g caster sugar
  • a punnet of fresh strawberries
  • a punnet of fresh blueberries
For the berry sauce:
  • 75g mixed frozen berries (I used frozen cherries on this occasion but mixed berries work well too)
  • ½ tsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 2 - 3 tsp sugar
For the whipped cream:
  • 1 pot double cream (approx 300ml)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
Method
  1. Preheat your oven to gas mark 1 or 130 degrees Celsius.
  2. Ensure you have read the notes above before proceeding to separate the eggs.
  3. Start by separating 4 medium sized eggs, place the yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another. Don't throw the yolks away, use it to make some custard or Hollandaise sauce.
  4. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites.
  5. Attach the balloon whisk to your stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer) and whisk the egg whites till they look soft and foamy (top right photo).
  6. Add ½ tsp of cream of tartar, 1 tsp vanilla essence....
  7. and 2 tsp of cornflour.
  8. Continue to whisk the egg whites till they form soft peaks that hold their shape (top right photo).
  9. Next measure 130g of caster sugar.
  10. Add 2 tbsp of sugar at a time to the whisked egg whites, thoroughly whisking at low speed and incorporating the sugar before adding more, keep adding sugar like this until you've used it all up.
  11. You should notice the egg whites become thicker and glossier in texture as you incorporate the sugar (top left photo).
  12. Once all the sugar has been added test the mixture to see if it is smooth and the sugar has been dissolved. If it is smooth proceed to the next step, if it is still grainy, whisk it some more on a low speed setting.
  13. The mixture should hold its shape/peaks when held upright, as I am doing in this photo (bottom right photo).
  14. Next take a flat tray and place a piece of greaseproof paper on top.
  15. Using a large bowl draw a circle with a pencil onto the paper, this will act as a guideline for you when you place the mixture on the paper. I turn the paper over to ensure the mixture doesn't come into contact with the lead from the pencil.
  16. Dot some of the pavlova mixture on the corners of the baking tray and place the greaseproof paper on top, this will hold the paper in place for you.
  17. Place the mixture in the centre of the marked circle and using a spatula work it outwards.
  18. Shape the pavlova like a bowl; the sides of the pavlova should be higher than the middle and the centre should be slightly lower in order for it to hold the whipped cream and fruit once baked (top right photo).
  19. Bake the pavlova in a preheated oven on gas mark 1 for 1.5 hours, don't be tempted to open the door before this time is up. After baking leave the door closed and allow it to cool completely before removing, this will help prevent the outside cracking excessively due to the change in temperature.
  20. Once cool remove the greaseproof paper from the bottom of the pavlova.
  21. Prepare the sauce by measuring 75g of frozen berries of your choice straight into a saucepan, I am using seedless frozen cherries.
  22. Dissolve ½ tsp of cornflour with 1 tbsp of cold water, add this to the frozen cherries.
  23. Add another 1 tbsp of water to the saucepan along with 2 - 3 tsp of sugar.
  24. Bring the mixture to a boil until the sauce becomes thick and sticky (bottom left photo), then transfer to a dish to cool until needed.
  25. To prepare the whipped cream; pour one pot of double cream in a clean bowl, add 2 tbsp of sugar and whisk using a whisk or handheld mixer till the cream forms soft peaks (bottom right photo).
  26. Wash your strawberries and remove the calyx.
  27. I like to dry the outside of the strawberries using a clean kitchen towel to prevent the strawberries becoming mushy from being washed.
  28. Cut the strawberries in half and leave until you are ready to assemble the pavlova.
  29. Assemble the pavlova by spreading the whipped cream over the top....
  30. then pour the berry sauce on top. Finally top with the fresh strawberries and blueberries.
  31. Appreciate how beautiful the pavlova looks before serving, because once served, it won't look anything like this, lol!
  32. Enjoy your Fruity Summer Pavlova and all the hard work that went into baking it, it's SO worth it!
Recipe by www.afeliaskitchen.com at https://www.afeliaskitchen.com/afelias-fruity-summer-pavlova/