Don’t be intimidated by pavlova. It’s actually one of many best desserts you may make. A lot simpler than baking a cake, in my humble opinion!

The proper meringue base has a crunchy, crumbly outer shell and a marshmallow-like centre. This isn’t laborious to attain, it simply requires baking at two completely different temperatures in sequence. You begin at the next warmth for the primary 20-25 minutes, which crisps the shell, then flip the oven right down to a decrease warmth for round 45 minutes to prepare dinner the gooey filling.

Additionally, don’t fret about ‘neatness’. If there’s one dish you will get away with being messy, it’s pavlova. Your meringue base will crack and drop a little bit after it cools. That’s regular. Don’t stress as you’ll simply be masking the entire high with cream and berries anyway. And regardless of how messy, pavlova at all times brings the wow-factor to any celebration!

I like to recommend baking the pavlova base the day earlier than to permit it to utterly cool earlier than serving (and to take the stress out of cooking it on the day!)

You may also whip your cream and put together your berries on the morning of the day you plan to serve the pavlova — merely retailer them in separate hermetic containers within the fridge till it is able to be assembled. 

Lucy’s Berry Pavlova

(Serves 8-12)

6 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
375g caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1 ½ tsp white wine vinegar
¼ tsp vanilla essence (or a couple of drops)

Raspberry coulis

500g frozen raspberries
Juice of 1 orange (or 1/2 cup store-bought orange juice)
½ cup icing sugar

To serve

800ml thickened cream
¼ tsp vanilla essence (or a couple of drops)
2 tsp icing sugar (or to style)
2 punnets strawberries
1 punnet raspberries

Technique

Preheat oven to 200C.

Line a flat baking tray with baking paper. Utilizing a pencil, hint round an entree-sized plate to attract an approx 22cm diameter circle in your baking paper.

In a big mixing bowl, add the egg whites and a pinch of salt, and beat for round 5 minutes with an electrical hand whisk till the egg whites type stiff peaks. (The yolks will preserve within the fridge for a few days. At our home we have now a practice of constructing penne carbonara on boxing day to make use of up all of the yolks!).

Add caster sugar to your egg whites, a 3rd at a time, beating in with the electrical whisk. It ought to solely take about 5-8 minutes to combine all of the sugar into the combination. Cease when the combination is thick and shiny, and you’ll’t really feel any grains of sugar while you rub a little bit of it between your fingers.

Add cornflour, vinegar and some drops of vanilla. Fold in with a spatula.

Pile the meringue combination onto your baking paper within the centre of the circle. Use a spatula to coax the combination right into a cake-like form with flat-ish high and sides. The combination will broaden within the oven so don’t fear if it seems to be a bit small at this stage. Additionally, don’t worry about it wanting neat! Messy is ok.

Scale back the oven warmth to 150C and pop the pavlova in! Bake for 20-25 minutes to crisp the outer shell of the meringue. Then (with out opening the oven) cut back warmth to 120C and prepare dinner for one more 40-45 minutes. On the finish of the cooking time, don’t open the oven door! Maintain it closed and depart the oven to chill utterly (ideally in a single day) earlier than taking your meringue out and thoroughly transferring it to a cake plate. The meringue base will preserve for 2-3 days when you preserve it coated in plastic.

Don’t be dissatisfied in case your meringue drops a little bit within the centre after the oven cools. That is completely regular (you simply fill that central half with cream). Additionally, don’t anticipate your meringue to be white. It is going to be a tender pinky/beige color on the skin.

While your meringue is within the oven, make your raspberry coulis.

Mix frozen raspberries and orange juice in a small saucepan on low warmth. Simmer for round 5 minutes till the berries have melted and the combination is beginning to resemble a sauce. Add the icing sugar, tasting as you go (the sauce must be a little bit tart to chop by way of the sweetness of the meringue). Use a potato masher to do away with any berry lumps. Enable to chill (it’ll thicken barely when cooled). Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge till it’s able to be served.

To serve

For the cream: Whisk cream, vanilla and icing sugar in a bowl with an electrical hand whisk for about 5 minutes till the cream is thick and quadrupled in measurement.

For the berries: Wash your strawberries, pat dry and slice into quarters. (I have to admit I don’t hassle washing the raspberries as they get a bit squishy when moist, however when you favor to clean them, now can be the time.)

Assemble your pavlova instantly earlier than you’re about to serve it.

Pile HEAPS of cream onto the meringue base. Drizzle a few of the raspberry coulis on high of the cream, then pile a beneficiant quantity of berries on high.

And also you’re achieved! Serve with the surplus coulis in a little bit jug or bowl on the desk, for drizzling on every serving.