Pavlova -luscious summer dessert
This is Australian in origin and supposedly was invented for Anna Pavlova, a famous Ballerina.
It is like a meringue but whereas a meringue is meant to be dry and crispy throughout, a pavlova should have a crisp outside and be marshmallow textured within. Make it on those rare occasions you have egg whites left over. It can be made a day or so in advance and kept airtight. Do not attempt to make it in humid weather or in a kitchen where you have just been boiling pasta. It won’t work. Fill/top the pavlova with cream etc only about 1 hour before serving. That gives time for the cream/fruit to soften crisp outer layer of Pavlova so when you eat it, marshmallow inside and cream top merge together. This recipe is easily halved to make 4 individual pavlovas.
One of my April 2011 recipes in honor of the Royal Wedding (I am a Londoner) for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness - now Beyond Celiac.
I made this as part of a Royal Wedding Breakfast on Wednesday 27 April (just 2 days before the Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton) on WMUR's ABC's Channel 9 Cooks Corner in New Hampshire. now on YouTube.
3 extra large egg whites or 4 large egg whites - egg substitute won’t work
1 c (8oz, 225 g) regular sugar
½ tsp gf vanilla extract
½ tsp vinegar - wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar not white or malt, and label states made from wine, grapes, apples or cider.
1 tsp (5ml) cornstarch – Argo cornstarch is labeled gluten free
preheat oven to 300*
draw an 8” circle on parchment paper and place paper on a baking sheet.
In a totally clean and grease free bowl (preferably glass or metal) whisk egg whites with electric mixer until very stiff. Add half the sugar and beat until mix forms peaks again. Beat in remaining sugar until mix forms peaks again.
Add vanilla, vinegar and cornstarch (don’t worry you won’t taste them in the finished dessert). And beat again to peaks.
Spoon out the meringue onto the prepared sheet and spread to cover the circle. Pile the meringue up around the edges to form a case and form little swirls on outside edges.
Bake in the oven for about 1-1/4 hours, until firm. When correctly cooked the meringue should easily lift up from the parchment paper. If it still seems sticky, cook for a longer period of time, and check in 5 minute increments. You can also check by cutting a very small piece from outside edge to see if the middle is still marshmallow like. The meringue will expand slightly and might look cracked and should remain very pale, golden brown. Remove from oven, remove from non-stick paper and allow to cool.
Fill with whipped cream flavored with gf liqueur, or plain cream with fruit. 1c liquid heavy or whipping cream, mixed with 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp gf liqueur and whipped until stiff. Pour some homemade chocolate sauce on each plate and top with pavlova – don’t pour on complete pavlova.
Option : Pipe or spoon the meringue into 4-6 large round mounds that are 3 inches wide on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon liner. With the back of a spoon, create an indentation in the middle of the mound for holding the filling once meringue is baked. Place baking sheet in the oven. You can also draw a 3-4” heart shaped outline on the parchment paper and fill in shape with a spoon of mix or pipe mix into outline with a piping bag and decorative pipe. See picture.
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