Over Christmas I made a 'few' pavlovas. I experimented with 101 different recipes, oven settings, times and flavours (#yesimaperfectionist) and FINALLY created the perfect pavlova. Read on for the recipe and my tips for that crunchy, gooey, perfectly coloured pav! Happy baking xxx
Are you a salted caramel pav kinda person or more on the traditional side? Salted caramel shards and sauce recipe here
Ingredients
6 egg whites
1 and 1/4 cups caster sugar
1t vanilla extract
2t cornflour
1t white vinegar
What to do
Preheat your oven to 120 degrees. Do not use fan forced. I use a conventional oven setting.
In your stand mixer, beat the egg whites to a soft peak. Add your caster sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat for 45 seconds between each addition. I time it for 45 seconds before I add the next tablespoon of sugar. Yes, I am serious! Why do I do this? This is to ensure the sugar dissolves, the egg whites are beaten enough to hold their shape and by the end of this you will have the most glossy, perfectly stiff peaks of meringue!
Turn oven down to 100 degrees. I find baking the meringue at this temp maintains that gorgeous off white colour in my oven. I tried it at 120 degrees and the meringue was an #epicfail and horrible dark brown colour!
Bake for 90 minutes. I check mine at about an hour. I like mine to sound hollow when I lightly tap it all over.
Turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven with the door slightly open. This allows the meringue to cool down slowly without cracking all over.
When it's cooled, decorate with your favourite toppings. Scroll down for a few of my tips on baking that perfect meringue......
A few things I have learnt during my pavlova making journey....
1. Oven temp is EVERYTHING. I tried a few different temps but what worked best for my oven was starting at 120 and then dropping down to 100 as soon as the pav went into the oven. I do not use fan forced. The pavlova came out of the oven 90 minutes later in that beautiful off white colour and perfectly crispy and gooey!
2. Beat the egg whites to a vert stiff peak (just like the photo above). This is one of the main reasons I recommend waiting 45 seconds between each addition of sugar. This ensures the perfect consistency to hold its shape when baking and also makes the pav nice and crunchy on the outside and gooey in the centre.
3. Cornflour helps keep the shape and vinegar helps give that crusty outside texture. Do not skip these ingredients!
4. Allow to cool in the oven with the door slightly open. It's OK to make the pav the night before and leave it in the oven to cool down overnight. This helps stabilise the meringue and prevent it falling apart.
1. Oven temp is EVERYTHING. I tried a few different temps but what worked best for my oven was starting at 120 and then dropping down to 100 as soon as the pav went into the oven. I do not use fan forced. The pavlova came out of the oven 90 minutes later in that beautiful off white colour and perfectly crispy and gooey!
2. Beat the egg whites to a vert stiff peak (just like the photo above). This is one of the main reasons I recommend waiting 45 seconds between each addition of sugar. This ensures the perfect consistency to hold its shape when baking and also makes the pav nice and crunchy on the outside and gooey in the centre.
3. Cornflour helps keep the shape and vinegar helps give that crusty outside texture. Do not skip these ingredients!
4. Allow to cool in the oven with the door slightly open. It's OK to make the pav the night before and leave it in the oven to cool down overnight. This helps stabilise the meringue and prevent it falling apart.
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