You might have noticed that the blog has had a bit of a revamp. Thanks to the technical genius of Mr Birdie we’ve (well he – I had nothing to do with it other than sharing some of my ideas) freshened things up. Hopefully you like the new look and will find the layout easy to use but also visually more up-to-date.
A new look means new motivation to get baking. Now that the weather is warming up, barbecue season is upon us. Yesterday we were invited to a friends house for a barbecue lunch (and to see their ‘new’ house which Covid and life has prevented us from seeing). I’ve not had the opportunity (or the time) to make a ‘showy’ dessert so I knew yesterday was the opportunity I needed. I knew I wanted to make a simple strawberry pavlova (as in the words of Mr Birdie who doesn’t like cream, strawberries and meringue) so I had a quick Google and found this recipe for a Mary Berry recipe.
Pavlovas and meringues should in theory be simple to make as they’re just two ingredients – egg whites and sugar however they can be notoriously tricky. This is a simple recipe to make. You just need to make sure you follow the basic principles of making a pavlova which are to make sure your eggs are at room temperature, you use a scrupulously clean bowl, you don’t allow any yolk to mix with the egg whites and you don’t overbeat your mixture. Don’t forget you will also need to allow plenty of time for your pavlova to cool in the oven so that you achieve the classic crisp outside but a soft, marshmallowy inside (I cooked mine in the evening and left it in the oven overnight before filling the next day). You’ll need to make sure you have a whisk (hand held or freestanding) and a baking sheet. I used strawberries as the filling but you could of course use whatever fruit you want or is in season.
Ingredients
-
For the Meringue
- For the filling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3. Lay a sheet of non-stick baking parchment on a baking sheet and mark a 23cm (9in) circle on it.
- Put the egg whites into a large bowl and whisk until stiff and cloud-like (it should leave a peak when you remove the whisk). Add the sugar a teaspoonful at a time, whisking well after each addition, until all the sugar has been added and the mixture becomes thick and glossy.
-
Blend the cornflour and vinegar together and whisk into the meringue mixture. Spread the meringue out to cover the circle on the non-stick baking parchment, building up the sides so they are higher than the middle.
-
Place in the oven but immediately reduce the temperature to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2. Bake for about 1 hour until firm to the touch and a pale beige colour. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to become quite cold while still in the oven. If you keep the oven door closed you will encourage a more marshmallowy meringue.
-
Remove the cold pavlova from the baking sheet and parchment and slide onto a serving plate. Top with the whipped cream and strawberries, then chill in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.
