Linda Choi’s Pavlova

Feeds 8 - 10 people
Prep time 20m
Cook time 60m

Description

Pavlova is a light and airy dessert with a crisp meringue shell and a soft, marshmallow-like centre. Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this elegant treat is typically topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, such as berries, passion fruit or kiwi, adding a perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. The delicate texture of the meringue contrasts beautifully with the luscious cream and juicy fruit, making it a showstopping dessert for any occasion. Whether served at a summer gathering or a festive celebration, Pavlova is a timeless favourite that impresses with both its simplicity and sophistication.

Ingredients

For the Meringue:
6 medium egg whites
225g caster sugar
5ml (1tsp) cornflour
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) white wine vinegar
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla essence
Linda’s Tip for a Pav with a twist is a hazelnut one, if you’d like to try this fold in 100g of ground hazelnuts to the meringue mixture.
Simple Topping:
2 punnets of soft fruit: raspberries, blueberries, use strawberries or go tropical with a topping of kiwi, banana and mango.
Icing sugar
Chopped mint leaves
Rosemary leaves
Dark chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 150ºC / 140ºC fan / 300ºF / GM 2.
Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment, and draw round a dinner plate (20cm-ish circle) in the centre of the paper. Turn the paper over so the marking is underneath and won’t transfer to the meringue.
Place the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl and use an electric whisk (a stand mixer makes this even easier), whisking them until stiff and dry.
Add the sugar, a spoon at a time, whisking all the while until the mixture is smooth, glossy and holds stiff peaks.
Gently fold in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla with a large metal spoon. Just be gentle – don’t knock all the air back out.
Spoon the mixture onto the parchment. With the back of the metal spoon, spread it to just within the circle, making decorative swirls, leaving a shallow dip in the centre.
Bake for 1hr until the meringue base and sides are crisp but not browned. Leave to cool on a cake rack – cracking is totally normal as it cools.
Whilst it is cooking prep your topping; for the simple version, just whip your cream until it is gently peaking and chop any large fruit into bite-size pieces.
Place the cooled pavlova on a large serving plate, spoon some cream on and smooth a layer across the centre.
Scatter a few handfuls of your fruit on the bottom cream layer.
Spoon the rest of the cream into the centre, spreading thickly and evenly almost to the edge.

Linda Choi’s Pavlova

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