My love affair with Pavlova...

Pavlova

As you all know, I am obsessed with Pavlova. As my ‘quasi-bucket list’ states – if Pavlova is on the menu at a restaurant, I must order it.

I am a Pavlova snob. I am a traditionalist – no chocolate allowed and no Coles pre-made bases! I also have very high standards for myself when it comes to baking a Pavlova. The pressure and stress I feel when a Pavlova is in the oven is ridiculous!

I like to say that my Pavlova wooed Serge. The night I met Serge at my sister’s house I had decided to make a Pavlova. It failed epically. The Pavlova looked like a pancake due to over beating (note: don’t let your nephew help you make pavlova as they have the tendency to want to keep on beating). I was not going to let this man think that I could not bake, so I made another one and it was perfect.

As promised on the Dear Melanoma Facebook Page last night, here is my grandma’s recipe that I always use. Most Pavlova recipes online are the same, I think the key to a good Pavlova is practice…. and a good oven (I steal my mum and dad’s oven for all Pavlova making).

Ingredients:

- 4 egg whites (absolutely no egg yolk or it won’t fluff up)

- 1 cup caster sugar

- 1 teaspoon vinegar

- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence

- 1 rounded tablespoon cornflour
- whipping cream
- fruit to decorate

Method:

1.     Heat oven to 250 degrees celsius

2.     Beat egg whites until light and fluffy.

3.     Once light and fluffy, add one tablespoon of caster sugar at a time until all sugar is added. Beat until all sugar is dissolved and the mixture is stiff (if you turn the bowl over, the mixture should not fall out).

4.     Beat in vinegar, vanilla and cornflour until just combined.

5.     Wet an ovenproof dish and place baking paper over water.

6.     Heap mixture onto dish – the mixture will spread as it cooks.

7.     Place Pavlova in oven and immediately turn the oven down to 125 degrees celsius.

8.     Bake undisturbed for 90 minutes (if you have spread the Pavlova out, you may need to reduce cooking time).

9.     Turn off oven and open door slightly and leave Pavlova in the oven to cool (never remove the Pavlova immediately).
10. Top with cream and fruit - or whatever you like!

Now it is your turn to make a Pavlova! Make sure to send me pictures of your successes (and failures).

I hope Pavlova brings you as much happiness as it does to my family!