An Aussie Classic - Pavlova "with a twist" episode 2.7

No Aussie family function, picnic, BBQ, birthday, "bring a plate" event is without some version of the Pavlova, or "pav". I know my New Zealand friends will argue that pavlova was a Kiwi invention, but where it was developed is really irrelevant. It is one of those Aussie/Kiwi national dishes that help define us. If you are interested in tracking its history, here's a good place to start. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlova_(food)

The base of the pavlova is made from meringue. Bought bases tend to be crisp and quite hollow. Home made bases tend to have more of the soft gooey marshmallow like middle. The meringue is made from beaten egg whites. I do recall a phase in the 1970's where we used "egg magic" a dehydrated powder form of egg
whites. (but that was the 70's!!).

Important tips

• The bowl must be very clean, free from all grease otherwise the egg whites wont beat to a stiff peak
• eggs need to be room temperature to get maximum volume
• dress with cream etc at last possible moment to keep the base crisp

Common problems

• oozing liquid from the meringue - it is undercooked
• syrupy droplets forming on the outside of the meringue shell - it is overcooked

Now over the years, my family got into a set routine for the toppings on the pav. Strawberries and passion fruit, or crushed peppermint crisp. Myles's family often used kiwi fruit. My aunt used drained crushed pineapple. In France last year I made one using bananas and wild strawberries. What you decorate it with is up to you, and what you have on hand.

Today I'm using a Canadian inspired topping - butter apple. It's served warm and is very decadent.

To see how to make this recipe, check out my YouTube check out my YouTube at the end of this post.

Recipe

Serves 6

4 egg whites, room temperature

Pinch of salt

2 tsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp corn flour

1 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract

250 g castor sugar

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Vanilla Whipped Cream:

600 ml cream

1/2 tsp gluten-free vanilla essence

1/2  vanilla pod (optional)

Roasted Buttered Apples:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1cm pieces

2 tbl light brown sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbl butter, diced small

1/2 of a vanilla bean pod, scraped

1 tsp corn flour

maple syrup

Traditional topping

1 punnet strawberries sliced

1 kiwi fruit sliced

1 passion fruit

1 peppermint crisp crushed

Heat oven to 100°C fan/ 120°C with the rack in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. Use individual sized ramekins to trace circles with pencil onto parchment paper. Line a baking sheet with the parchment, marking side 

In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Keep aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low-speed until they are frothy. Add the salt, vinegar, and corn flour and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. This will take between 3-4 minutes. . Add the sugar mixture in 3 additions, mixing well between each addition. Beat on medium-high speed until meringue is stiff and glossy, between 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla  essence and seeds if using and mix until combined.

Divide the meringue evenly between the marked circles on the parchment and use the back of a spoon to thin out the center of the pavlova, creating a well, while building up the sides as you fill in the circles. You want the outer walls of the pavlova to be at least 3cm high. Bake until the meringue is glossy and hard to the touch, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. *Normally a pavlova is bright white and you would reduce the temperature if it began to take on too much colour. Due to the addition of the cinnamon, these pavlova will be slightly golden in colour anyway. When the pavlova is cooked through, turn off the oven and leave the pavlova to cool in the oven for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. When completely cooled the pavlova will lift easily from the parchment. Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Roasted Cinnamon and Vanilla Apples:

Preheat oven to 00°C fan/ 220°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice apples and toss them with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Combine the apples with the remaining ingredients and mix well so that all of the apples are coated. *I even toss in the pod to the vanilla bean after scrapping the seeds.

Roast in the oven until the apples are tender, about 30-35 minutes. If not using immediately store in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat before use.

Vanilla Whipped Cream:

Whip cream and vanilla together until thick.

To plate,:

• Spoon the warm apple onto the pavlova shell. Top with whipped cream and drizzle over maple syrup.OR
•  Spoon the whipped cream onto the shell, then let your artisitic streak shine as you decorate with the fruit and chocolate.

updated March 2023