For those of us living in warmer parts of the globe, images of a white Christmas are magical. Reindeer, snow mobiles, eggnog and building a snowman with a carrot nose merge with images of unicorns, elves and gigantic snowflakes…The Pavlova is also one of those desserts that remind me of these enchanting things
The Pavlova was named after a Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It was created in honour of her visit to New Zealand. The pudding is an airy white cloud-like sugar confection.
A Pavlova is a thing of beauty. The crisp white meringue base is slathered with a whipped vanilla cream and topped with a generous quantity of strawberries.
These ruby red berries add a stunning contrast to the white base. The textures that swirl about in the mouth from the very first bite , leap from crunchy and creamy to pulpy and chewy. Kiwi fruit is also added for contrast in colour and texture. Passion fruit pulp is yet another popular fruit topping for a Pavlova.
A Pavlova is simple to execute.
The success is in its baking and knowing your oven and it’s temperament. The Pavlova is made by whisking egg whites to a soft peak. Castor sugar is added while continuing the whisking, which gives it a glossy white shine. Then vanilla extract, white wine vinegar and cornflour is added to make the Pavlova mixture. This mix of ingredients is what lends chewiness to the dessert beneath its crisp shell-like exterior.
Once all the ingredients have been folded together, the temperature of the preheated oven needs to be turned down from 190 to 160 degrees Centigrade. At this heat, the glossy cloud-like pillow begins to cook slowly. It needs to bake for an hour and 25 minutes for a quantity of four egg whites. The swirls on the top will harden and start to form small cracks. That’s when I am with my nose to the glass oven door. What a beautiful sight.
The glossy shine of the meringue coat takes on a matt hue and bursts open ever so slightly to let the heat seep inside and bake the mixture through. If a Pavlova is exposed to the cold air it will soften very quickly. So, it’s essential that it be allowed to sit in the oven for an hour to cool slowly. The residual heat in the oven will ensure that the core of the Pavlova dries out, after baking.
Making a Pavlova, kindles the artistic streak even in the most conservative of cooks. This is beyond doubt, a task that is relaxing, calming and therapeutic.
While coaxing the mix into a mound with the rubber spatula, one can create dips and curls and folds and waves. It holds shape and posture almost as if it is in suspended animation. Post baking, comes the beauty treatment. The thickly beaten cream is layered on firmly, but gently so as to not crack the top. The final topping of fruit can be arranged uniformly or strewn artistically. It doesn’t matter which as the contrast of colours always makes it stunning to look at.
A Pavlova is perfect for the gluten free diet. It contains no flour and is low on carbs in comparison to other desserts. This egg white sweet treat takes well to flavourings.
A small quantity of unsweetened cocoa can be added to make a Chocolate Pavlova. Lemon rind or cinnamon also pairs well with the frothy egg white. One can top a lemon Pavlova with lemon curd and cranberries. A spiced Pavlova can be topped with thick custard and stewed apples or pears. The prep takes about 10 minutes. The baking takes longer. In the meanwhile, enjoy the nip in the December air in the company of a mug of hot chocolate and a book.
Wishes from my kitchen to yours...may it be filled with sounds of merriment, aromas of warmth and feelings of contentment.
Read more about food on Shanthini’s website >www.pinklemontreerecipes.com
