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Pavlova

17/11/2023

Pavlova is a dessert named in honor of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a very light cake featuring a base of crisp meringue on the outside and soft on the inside, generally accompanied by fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Here is the recipe for a Pavlova:

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites (at room temperature)
  • 250 g of caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or vanillin)
  • Whipped cream (about 500 ml, already sweetened to taste)
  • Fresh fruit (strawberries, kiwi, passionfruit, berries, etc.)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 120 °C (about 250 °F).
  2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they are frothy.
  3. Add the sugar a little at a time, continuing to beat until the meringue becomes glossy and forms stiff peaks.
  4. Gently fold the white wine vinegar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract into the meringue.
  5. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, form a circle of meringue with the help of a spatula or spoon.
  6. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the meringue is crispy on the outside. Do not open the oven during baking.
  7. Once baked, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly open, letting the meringue cool completely inside. This helps prevent the meringue from collapsing.
  8. Once cool, carefully transfer the meringue base to a serving plate.
  9. Cover the meringue with the whipped cream and arrange the chosen fresh fruits on top of the cream.

Now, to honor my Italian spirit, I might suggest adding a Mediterranean touch by mixing a bit of limoncello into the whipped cream, or perhaps sprinkling the Pavlova with chopped pistachios for a note of color and crunchiness. Alternatively, you could prepare a berry sauce to accompany the dessert, perhaps with a bit of balsamic for an intriguing contrast of flavors.

Curiosity

Despite many attributing the origin of Pavlova to Russia because of its name, this dessert was actually created in honor of the ballerina during her tour in Australia or New Zealand, and both countries claim its creation.