Australian Pavlovas With Ginger And Tropical Fruits Recipes

AUSTRALIAN PAVLOVAS WITH GINGER AND TROPICAL FRUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil; butter foil. Beat whites and cream of tartar in large bowl to soft peaks. Add 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff and glossy. Add 4 tablespoons ginger, cornstarch and cardamom; beat 1 minute.
• Spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with plain 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 3 1/2-inch-diameter meringue ring on prepared sheet. Pipe another ring atop first. Pipe meringue inside ring to create thin base, covering bottom of ring completely. Repeat, forming 6 meringue shells total.
• Bake meringues 1 1/2 hours (they will not color). Turn oven off. Leave meringues in closed oven 1 1/2 hours longer. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store between layers of waxed paper in airtight container.)
• Slice 1 1/2 mangoes; chill. Puree remaining 1 1/2 mangoes in processor with 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix in enough water to thin to sauce consistency. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Chill.)
• Beat cream, sour cream, vanilla and 1 tablespoon sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Drizzle 1/4 cup mango sauce onto each of 6 plates. Place 1 meringue on each plate. Spoon 1/3 cup cream into center of each meringue. Top with pineapple, kiwi and sliced mango. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon ginger.

AUSTRALIAN PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Place the egg whites in a small mixing bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, draw a 10 inch circle on a piece of wax paper and place (writing-side down) on a baking sheet. Variation: Draw 10 four inch circles on the wax paper.
• Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until very stiff peaks form and sugar is almost dissolved (about 5 minutes).
• Using the back of a spoon, spread meringue onto the circle, building the sides up to form a bowl.
• Bake in a 300oF oven for 35 minutes. Turn off the oven and let shell dry in the oven, with the door closed for one hour. Remove the shell from baking sheet and pull off wax paper. Store in an airtight container. Will keep indefinitely.
• The traditional filling is simply fresh fruit of your choice and whipped cream and topped with fruit sauce. Another good one is ice cream, nuts, fruit and sauce ("banana split").

TROPICAL PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. To make the meringue, separate the egg whites into a clean bowl (save the yolks for another time) and add the sugar. Beat with an electric whisk for 8-10 mins, or until stiff and glossy. Combine the vanilla, vinegar and cornflour in a separate bowl until smooth, then fold into the eggs along with the coconut.
• Place a piece of parchment paper or silicone paper over a baking sheet. Spoon the meringue mix onto the sheet and smooth out to form a circle about 20-25cm wide, swirling with a knife to make peaks around the edges. Cook for 1 hr until the meringue is crisp and lightly browned, then turn off the oven and leave to cool. Gently peel away the paper. Can be made up to two days ahead and carefully stored in an airtight container.
• To serve, whip the cream, crème fraîche, sugar and vanilla extract together until soft peaks form, then spread over the centre of the meringue. Top with the fruit and serve.