Pavlova the national Australian dessert with excellence ( and In New Zealand as well ). A perfect balance of sweetness , creaminess and airiness with a touch of freshness all at the same time combined in an all time star of family dinners desserts .
Even though the ingredients list of the Pavlova is quiet short and simple , many people have hard time making that perfectly cooked and shaped Pavlova that we see on blogs and food magazines and think that it is so complicated to make .
But the truth is , it easy and simple as making a cookie dough or even easier if you know the simple tips and tricks on how to make it . Are you curious to know what are these tips ? well continue reading and all the secrets of a Perfect Pavlova will be disclosed to the coolest readers ever in this blog post .
Let's start by decomposing the elements that form this Dessert shall we? In every Pavlova recipe there is 3 components :
- The meringue base
- The Whipped cream
- Fresh fruits
The last two may change depending on how adventurous and innovatif you feel . But the Meringue doesn't change it is the pillar of a Pavlova .
The Meringue can be challenging to many people because its fragile and a little bit technical , and the perfect kind of meringue for a Pavlova is a suiss meringue that will turn out as stable , smooth and shiny on the outside and light inside as wanted for a beautiful Pavlova that will make you the star baker among your friends and family members .
What are the sercrets of a Perfect Pavlova ?
Well here are the best tips that will help you solve the Pavlova Recipe secrets and become a Meringue master all in once .
Tip 1 :
Use perfectly clean ustensils when you are preparing the Meringue because and risidual grease coverig your mixers bowl or whisk will affect the process of beating your egg white to a stiff pick .
Wash your bowl and whisk with water then swipe them with a vinegar imbibed towel to swipe any grease on the surface .
Tip 2 :
Don't Use fresh eggs ! this may seem counter intuitive but to get a stable meringue it is better to use those eggs that you bought last week or since a couple of days .
Tip 3 :
Egg whites should be at a room temperature . this will help you get a stiff eggwhite pick faster and prevent it from loosing the air quickly.
Tip 4 :
Not a tiny bit of egg yolks !! This is so important if your egg yolk breaks when seperating it from the white don't use that egg white keep it for another recipe or make yourself an omlette when you finish baking this Pavlova .
To guarantee that your egg yolks will not break when seperating them from the eggwhite , seperate them when the eggs are still cold out of the fridge .
Tip 5 :
Don't forget that pinch of salt ! Salt is acutually going to stabilise the eggwhites .
Tip 6 :
Add in few drops of lemon juice ! or a pinch of cream of tartar which are egg stabilisers as well and will certainly help to keep the airyness texture of the meringue while whisking and when it bakes .
Tip 7 :
Low oven tempreture and long baking time ! Making meringue needs patience , yes i know it is not that easy but this is the only way to make a good meringue . Crunchy on the outside and marshmallowy in the inside . Bake you meringue at a 110 C for 2 Hours if you have a ventilated oven or at 100 C for 2h15 in a regulat oven
The baking time and temperature may change depending on the size of your meringue ass well , smaller Pavlova base needs less time in the oven otherwise it will be hard inside and get a dark coloration on the outside .
Tip 8 :
DON'T YOU OPEN THAT OVEN DOOR ! this is a big NO! NO! . Opening the oven door when your meringue is baking means that it will loose all the air formed when the eggs white and sugar are cooking and releasing the steam that will elevate your meringue .As a result it will sink in the middle if not become flat all together .
Tip 9 :
Meringue Will crack don't panic ! to limit the damages of meringue cracks make a small well in the center of your meringue with the back of a spoon and the cracks will form around that well so you can cover them with the whipped cream later .
Tip 10 :
Plan ahead ! to have the optimal result you should leave the meringue to cool overnight in the oven so you might need to start making your Pavlova the day before .
Australian Pavlova
INGREDIENTS
For the meringue:
- 100 gr eggwhite
- 50 gr caster sugar
- 50 gr icing sugar
- 3 gr lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
For the topping:
- whipped cream
- Fresh fruits , literally anything you love or anything availavble in your house .
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a clean bowl place your room temperature egg whites with a pinch of salt and start your hand mixer on medium speed util the egg whites become foamy.
- Add in the caster sugar and keep mixing while crancking uo the speed a little bit .
- When the egg whites turn white and smooth add in the lemon juice and start introducing the sifted icing sugar gradually .
- Set the mixer to the highest speed and keep mixing until you have a shiny egg white mixture and it forms a stiff pick .
Tip: Don't over whisk your egg whites or it will start cooking and forming a grainy texture .
- On a baking sheet secure your baking paper and draw a 10 cm radius circle or smaller ones like i did then pile the meringue on top of it, and don't forget to make a small well in the center for the whipped cream later and to prevent the edges from cracking like mentioned in the "Tips to get a perfect pavlova above".
- Bake in a 110 C preheated oven for 5 minutes then drop down the temperature to 100 C and let it bake for 2 Hours WIHTHOUT OPENING THE OVEN DOOR !
- After 2 Hours turn off the heat , open the oven door a little bit to let any steam escape then let the pavlova cool down in the oven for 3 to 4 hours or optimally overnight .
- when your Meringue is cool and ready for plating top it with whipped cream and try to push it through the cracks , then decorate it with your fresh fruits .
And voilà ...
Did you like this recipe ? well you will certainly love these ones as well then :
Amal Nasri
A full time sweet tooth foodie , foodphotographer and recipe developer who is always on the hunt of new flavor combinations and food discoveries to re-create sweet delicacies and fresh dessert recipes .