The recipe for Pavlova was first brought to our household on a family vacation to England. Our first spoonful of this sweet and fruity dessert was all because of Alexandra Loader, our British/Italian cousin. After that first encounter, the Pavlova recipe evolved slightly and became infamous in our family. It has been continuously requested for family occasions, especially birthday’s.
For these pavlovas we bought an assortment of fruits and let our imagination do the rest. Similarly you could have your guests create their own. We usually make one larger one with strawberries and blackberries but we like the idea of having several individual ones that can be more personalized. Pictured we have strawberries, mixed berries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberry kiwi. We have also made some with mangos and passion fruit that have proven delicious. Be creative and let us know what you come up with.
Pavlova topped with mixed berries
Ingredients
Meringue
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 pinch salt
Cream and Topping
- 2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- assortment of berries or other fruits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- While eggs are still cold, separate the yolks from the whites.
- Place egg whites in a glass bowl and allow it to reach room temperature.
- Add one pinch of salt and beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Add sugar one spoonful at a time while continuously beating egg whites. The egg whites will turn glossy.
- When there is 1/4 cup of sugar left, add 1 tsp of corn starch to the sugar and continue beating until hard peaks form.
- Spoon mixture onto baking sheet, about 1 inch thick. Create either one large pavlova or 5 individual ones.
- Bake for 60 minutes for single large pavlova or 50 minutes for the 5 individual ones.
- Turn off and allow to cool completely before removing from the oven.
- In separate bowl beat heavy cream and powdered sugar until whipped.
- Top with berries or other assorted fruits.
