This is just one version of the famous New Zealand pavlova . Once you've made it a few times, you might want to go searching and find 'the' recipe that's right for you.
I had a legendary one back in the 80's but it was lost along the way, so this one is your starter ...
4 large egg whites
1 cup (200g) superfine or castor sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar (I used to use malt vinegar in NZ)
1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)
Topping: whipped cream
and whatever you please.
grated chocolate, fruit like strawberries or kiwis ... whatever you fancy.
Preheat oven to 250F or 130C and place rack in the centre of the oven. Line a baking sheet with paper and you can draw an 18cm (7in) circle on the paper (but I don't).
- Put your egg whites into a big mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the meringue holds very stiff peaks.
- Continue beating the egg whites and start adding the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time.
- Test to see if the sugar has dissolved by rubbing a little meringue between your thumb and finger - if gritty, keep beating.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, stop beating it and add the vinegar and cornstarch. Fold them into the meringue with a rubber spatula.
Gently spread the meringue inside the circle on the baking paper, if you made one.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream clour. Turn the oven off and leave the door slight open, letting the pav cool off in the oven.
The outside of the pav will feel firm but as it cools you will get some cracking, allowing you to see the inside is soft and marshmallowy (hopefully).
Whip the cream and cover the pavlova with it just before serving.
Smakelijk!
Oh, and if anyone has a tried and tested pavlova recipe they know and love, I would be more than happy to receive a copy.
ok, yum. i have never had anything considered kiwi cuisine
ReplyDeleteOh, you have missed a cuisine full of depth and richness, freshness and diversity, and much theft.
ReplyDeleteKiwis have a tendency to taste another countries cuisine and make it their own ... owning it completely in our stories and legends.
Roast lamb, with sweet potato (kumara), parsnip, potatoes, pumpkin is possibly a staple, specially when I was growing up.
You need to go there, furiousball. Actually I think everyone should just because I love my little country so much :)
The Edmonds cookbook has the best recipe...don't tell me you don't have one?
ReplyDeleteWell, I have the Edmonds book but the recipe I'm looking for is one where you use about 8 tablespoons of hot water. It made huge delicious pavlovas and was lost during my time spent moving within New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteHey Di. Didn't the Aussie invent this?
ReplyDeletehehe :)
Apparently it is either cornflour or hot water (in Australia, at least ;-) ):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wikihow.com/Make-Pavlova
Paola
Mark, this earns you the stirrer's spoon of 2008 ...
ReplyDeletePaolo, grazie! :)
I shall follow it up and experiment with your find.
Hans was sooo proud that his name was actually on your blog Di!
ReplyDelete"Would she talk to me in Dutch if I ever mentioned the Pavlova?" he asked with the eyes of a cute puppy.
"Sure", I said, "but I doubt whether we have a language issue here. You just want/need someone stuffing huge pieces of Pavlova in your mouth, hand you your slippers and allow you to watch some boring game on TV. The conversation part is entirely optional"
Guess who's eating tons of carbs right now while wondering if Pavlova doesn't come in an "instant micro-wave variety"?
Indeed :-)
Hans is so lovely, Peter :)
ReplyDeleteIf I spoke to him in Dutch, the problem would be understanding what I had attempted to say, as you know.
And I'm not even going to let Gert read how a dream partner behaves lol.