Pavlova

Day 10
Paraguay 2 Slovakia 0
New Zealand 1 Italy 1
Brazil 3 Ivory Coast 0

World Cup Kitchen is New Zealand’s favourite: Pavlova
 

I absolutely love Pavlova, the crisp sweet meringue with sweetened cream and fresh fruit with a drizzle of warm caramel on top – it is absolutely delicious and is actually not as hard to make as you might think.

The origins of the recipe date back to the 1920s and were named after a Russian ballet dancer who was visiting Australia & New Zealand, a chef in a hotel in Wellington in 1926 created the dish when Pavlova visited there on her world tour.

The Pavlova I have made today is enough for 4 people so if you are cooking for a larger number just multiply everything by 2. 

Also many like to add Hazelnuts and mixed forest fruits to the top but my preference is to use too many fresh strawberries.

Serves 4

Ingredients
Meringue
3 eggs room temperature
180g caster sugar 
½ tbsp cornflower, cornstarch
1 small bag (8g) of vanilla sugar
1 tbsp vinegar (white or rice vinegar)
Top
250ml cream
1 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
1 small bag (8g) vanilla sugar
1 punnet fresh strawberries (other fresh fruit can also be used to your own preference)
100g sugar 
100ml water

Cooking Utensils
Large Mixing Bowl
Electric mixer
Parchment paper
Large Steel Spoon
Oven tray
Saucepan
Sieve

Preparation
- Separate white and yolk of the eggs
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Preheat oven at 130C
 
Cooking   

Meringue

 
- Beat egg whites until stiff (turn the bowl upside down to test)
- Now slowly add sugar while continuing to whisk the mixture
 

- Slowly fold in your vanilla sugar, corn flower and vinegar with your steel spoon
 

- Gently spread meringue on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit)
 

- Bake for 1 hour or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, and let meringue cool completely in the oven, it is best to leave overnight for best results as the meringue will completely dry out

Top 
- Whip the cream with the sifted icing sugar and vanilla sugar
 

- Finely chop your strawberries and put a first layer in the well of the meringue

- Top it with your cream and then again with more strawberries
 

- Mix your Sugar and water  and  bring to the boil in a non-stick frying pan.
 

- Watch your mixture transform into caramel and when done drizzle caramel over the top of the meringue
 

- Serve immediately


ENJOY!!!