Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Pavlova


We're heading out to dinner at a friends tonight, so I made up a pavlova. It's basically egg whites beaten with caster sugar, with a little vinegar and cornflour folded though. It's dried in a low oven and it comes out like a big meringue. (Isn't meringue the weirdest word? Spelt nothing like it should be.) You top it with sweetened whipped cream and fresh fruit. I'm still debating whether this one needs some fresh mango as well - I might just eat the mango all myself, no sharing.

The biggest challenge with pavlova is peeling it off the baking sheet. It always looks perfect on the tray straight out of the oven, but once I've had at it with a spatula and a knife trying to get it into a serving dish it's just a mess. I've found it's easiest to just give up, peel off the bigger pieces of outer shell and then flop the middle across as a mess. Put the shell on, hide the cracks with heaps of cream and voila! No one need ever know. Except now I've told everyone with internet access. I'm so sneaky.
Here is what the BBC says a good pavlova should look like:

Look, no cracks! It's a miracle.

2 comments:

  1. I found your blog through another one and had to check it out- the catchy title of 'The Accidental Housewife' had me laughing- and relating.

    I've never seen or heard of a Parlova but it looks mighty tasty!

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  2. My Mum always cooks Pav on alfoil on the tray, which can then be peeled off (if you make firm pav, not too meringuey). That might help?

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