How To Make Pavlova Meringue Recipes

STRAWBERRY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
• Using a pencil, mark out the circumference of a dinner plate on baking parchment.
• Whisk 4 egg whites with a hand mixer until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in 250g caster sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until the meringue looks glossy.
• Whisk in 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• Spread the meringue inside the circle, creating a crater by making the sides a little higher than the middle.
• Bake for 1 hr, then turn off the heat and let the Pavlova cool completely inside the oven.
• When the meringue is cool, chop 100g of the hulled strawberries. Mix them with 100g of the redcurrants and 2 tbsp icing sugar.
• Place in a food processor, blitz until smooth, then push the fruit mixture through a sieve.
• Whip 350ml double cream with the remaining 1 tbsp icing sugar and spread it over the meringue. Put the remaining 400g hulled and halved strawberries and 100g redcurrants on the cream and finally pour the sauce over the whole lot.

PERFECT PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Make sure all the equipment is clean and dry (mixer bowl, whisk, two spatulas, sugar bowl, bowls to separate egg yolks and whites etc.).
• Preheat oven to 300°F / 150°C. Cut a piece of parchment paper that's big enough to line a baking tray. Draw a circle that's 8 in / 20 cm in diameter on the underside of the parchment paper. Line the baking tray with the parchment paper (with the drawn circle on the underside). Set aside until needed.
• Carefully break an egg, and strain the egg white into a small clean bowl, taking care not to break the egg yolk. Once you've successfully separated the egg white, transfer this into a mixer bowl that is on a weighing scale. Repeat with more eggs, until you have 221 g of egg whites (give or take 5 grams). If you get any yolk into the egg white, you must discard the contaminated egg white and start again with another egg.
• Do not throw away the egg yolks, since you can make other recipes with them (see end of the post for some ideas). Store egg yolks in an air-tight container, with a layer of water to coat them on top.
• Once the egg whites are measured and in the mixer bowl, whisk the egg whites on speed 4 (on a 10 speed mixer) until it reaches soft peak stage (i.e. when you lift the whisk, soft peaks should be formed in the egg whites). This may take about 10 minutes.
• When the egg whites are at soft peak stage, lower the speed to 3, and add the sugar, 1 - 2 tbsp at a time. Make sure each addition of sugar is dissolved before adding the next. I wait about 30 seconds between each addition. Also scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once, while adding the sugar. Do not rush this process. This can take about 10 -15 minutes.
• Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed to 4, and whisk the egg whites just until the sugar has completely dissolved, and the egg whites are thick and glossy, and hold their shape well.
• Here's how to check if the sugar has dissolved - take a small amount of the meringue mix between your fingers and rub it. If it feels grainy or has any granules, then there's undissolved sugar. If you don't feel any granules or grittiness, then the sugar is completely dissolved. I also like to make sure that I don't see any undissolved sugar in a few other places in the meringue (under the whisk, in the bowl etc).
• Whisking egg whites until the sugar completely dissolves can take between 15 - 30 minutes, depending on the sugar you use. Do not rush this, and check on the meringue periodically to make sure you won't over-whisk it. Use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times as well.
• While the egg whites are being whisked, place the cornstarch and vinegar in a small bowl and mix to combine. The cornstarch mix will be a thick, paste like slurry. (please note cornstarch forms an ooblek that is a solid when sitting, but a paste when moving around).
• Once the sugar is dissolved, and the meringue is glossy and thick, immediately add the cornstarch and vinegar slurry. Increase the speed to about 5 - 6 and let the cornstarch slurry mix into the egg whites for about 30 - 45 seconds. Then stop whisking and remove the bowl from the mixer.
• Using a clean spatula, scoop the meringue in the bowl out on to the parchment paper with the drawn circle. Pile the meringue in the middle of the drawn circle. Be careful not to scoop out the top edge of meringue in the mixer bowl to prevent any undissolved sugar getting into the mixture (see picture in the post).
• Using an offset spatula, spread the meringue mix to fill the drawn circle on the parchment paper. Make sure the meringue mix is evenly tall.
• Once you have shaped the pavlova (see pictures in the post), use an offset spatula or palette knife to create furrows along the sides of the pavlova, going from bottom to top. Smoothen the edges to get rid of meringue points (that can burn easily). The pavlova should have soft, rounded edges. Create some swirls on the middle of the meringue on top as well.
• Transfer the cake into the preheated oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 225°F / 110°C.
• Bake the pavlova for 90 minutes. Do not open the oven door during this time.
• When the 90 minutes are up, turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool down in the oven overnight (or up to 6 hours, until completely cooled down).
• Transfer the pavlova into an air-tight container and store in a cool dry place (free of draft), until ready to serve. Do not store in the fridge or freezer.
• Place the chilled whipping cream in a chilled bowl. Whisk the cream on medium speed. (Do not over-whisk the cream as it can become grainy. If you whisk the cream on high, you risk over-beating it, and the cream will deflate faster, making the pavlova runny.)
• While whisking the cream, add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla into it. Mix until you have stiff peaks, but the cream is still smooth.
• Spread the cream on top of the pavlova, and top it with the prepared fruits. Drizzle/spread the passion fruit of lemon curd over the top as well (if using).
• Serve immediately.

NEW ZEALAND PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat the oven to 275 F/140 C and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
• Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and score a 7-inch circle on the foil with the blunt edge of a knife, without tearing the foil. (Use a bowl as a guide.) Set aside.
• In a clean, medium-sized metal bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean electric mixer on medium speed until the whites form soft peaks .
• Gently sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating continuously until the whites form stiff glossy peaks.
• Sprinkle the cornstarch and vinegar on the meringue and fold in gently with a plastic spatula.
• Add the vanilla and gently fold the mixture again.
• Now gently spread the meringue in the circle on the foil to make a circular base. Make sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center so you have a shallow well in the middle.
• Bake the meringue for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it turns a very pale, pinkish eggshell color.
• Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar to let the meringue cool completely. As the meringue cools, it will crack slightly.
• Just before serving, take the meringue out of the oven and gently transfer it from the foil to a plate.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Whip the cream with the vanilla and icing sugar until it forms peaks and set aside.
• Prepare the fruit by washing it and slicing any that aren't going to be left whole.
• If using bananas, toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Gently spread the cream over the top of the cooled meringue with a spatula.
• Arrange the fruit on top. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.
• Serve immediately and enjoy.

MERINGUE/PAVLOVA

Steps:

• PREHEAT THE OVEN to 150C/130C fan/300F/gas 2. Very lightly oil a baking sheet and cover with a sheet of nonstick baking parchment.
• TO WHISK THE EGG WHITES Using an electric mixer, or a bowl and electric hand whisk (ensure both bowl and whisk are spotless), beat the egg whites with the caster sugar until very firm - about 4 minutes - then add the icing sugar, vanilla extract, cornflour and vinegar, and beat for another 3 minutes until very firm and glossy.
• FOR INDIVIDUAL MERINGUES Using a large metal spoon, dollop spoonfuls of the mixture on to the prepared baking sheet, allowing at least 5cm between them. Shape or swirl them to your liking with a spatula or knife, or allow a trail of mixture to flop over backwards, making a peak. FOR A PAVLOVA BASE Using a large metal spoon, scoop the mixture on to the baking paper, then, using the back of the spoon and starting from the centre, spread out and flatten slightly in one sweep, to give a round cushion with a slight dip in the middle. Don't touch the sides as this will spoil the fluid lines.
• TO COOK THE MERINGUES Just before placing them in the oven, reduce the heat to 140C/120C fan/275F/gas 1 and bake on a middle shelf for 35 minutes for individual meringues, 1 hour 10 minutes for a pavlova. Turn off the oven, open the door and leave the meringues to cool gently for a few minutes before removing. Once out of the oven leave in a warm place to cool (this helps prevent excessive cracking, although a few cracks are the norm). Meringue should be marshmallow-soft at the centre, with a fragile and crisp exterior. When cool, carefully detach from the paper and, if made in advance, keep in an airtight container for up to two days.
• TO FINISH A PAVLOVA Whip 300ml double cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar until it forms soft peaks, then pile on to the base and top with fruit of your choosing (passionfruit and berries are especially good)

EASY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually add in the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy. Gently fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
• Spoon mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Working from the center, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building edge slightly. This should leave a slight depression in the center.
• Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a small bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. Remove the paper, and place meringue on a flat serving plate. Fill the center of the meringue with whipped cream, and top with kiwifruit slices.