If I've got lots of people visiting: a family lunch, friends for dinner, or for a party I often turn to this pavlova recipe. It's so simple to make yet can be dressed up to be a bit of a show-stopper. I always get people saying 'wow' and obviously bask in the glory - yet secretly feel a bit of a fraud.
I think people often see this as a summer desert but I love it in the winter, too. That is, if my chickens have laid enough eggs during the darker months. It's a much lighter desert to the sponges with custard or the pies.
I know I'll be preparing one to take to my mum and dad's house for our family get-together this Christmas.
PAVLOVA RECIPE
Equipment
Baking tray covered in baking parchment with a dinner plate shaped circle drawn on. Electric mixer, food processor (if possible), sieve.
Ingredients
For the pavlova base
- 5 egg whites
- 250g white caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from vanilla pod
For the cream and fruit topping
- tub of strawberries (or any mixture of fruit you prefer)
- 1 tsp icing sugar
- 142ml pot double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from vanilla pod
For the raspberry sauce ( you can make this or buy it already made in a bottle to save time and faff)
- A few handfuls of raspberries
- 1 tsp icing sugar
- Heat oven to 220c/200c fan.
- Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until very stiff.
- Keep the mixer going and gradually pour in the sugar and vanilla until you're back at the stiff peak stage.
- Turn out onto the baking tray and form into the circle you've drawn (see Equipment above), making a slight dip in the middle.
- Place in oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 150c/130c fan.
- Bake for 60 - 80 minutes. (I prefer to bake mine for 80 minutes to make it more crunchy on the outside.)
- Switch oven off but leave in the oven as long as possible with the door shut. You could even leave it there overnight.
- When you're ready to assemble whisk the cream with the icing sugar and the vanilla until thick and smooth
- For the raspberry sauce place the raspberries into a bowl and puree with a fork until smooth (you could also use a food processor).
- Push the pureed raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds. Mix in the icing sugar.
- Hull and half the strawberries.
- Spread the cream thickly over the meringue, scatter the strawberries over the top and finish by drizzling over the raspberry sauce.
