pavlova

This one is a special request from the boy, a food which he claims to be from the motherland - well, his motherland, Australia, although the origins of this dessert are under a bit of dispute. Pavlova! I had actually never heard of it before meeting him, so it was a totally new thing for me to be making, but I was quite pleased with how it turned out. (His verdict? Too much whipped cream, but he puts ice cream on pumpkin pie instead of whipped cream, so I wouldn't really count that as criticism.) I think the next time I make it, I'll do a few individual pavolvas (pavlovae? pavloves?), so that we don't have to eat one giant one all by ourselves. Tasty stuff though! I snagged this particular recipe from over here, but there are loads of good ones I found online - I just liked the photos from this particular one. It was quick and painless, and best of all - delicious!

Pavlova
Makes one big pavlova or 4-6 small ones
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
whipped cream and fruit (especially berries) for topping

Right away I was skeptical for a few reasons: it didn't seem like a lot of ingredients, there was vinegar involved in a dessert, and the last time I made something with egg whites (angel food cake) the recipe called for powdered sugar so it mixed better. But I forged ahead. First off, pop the bowl of your mixer into the fridge (and the whisk attatchment/beater as well) for a little bit, so it's easier to make the meringue. Then preheat the oven to 325°F, put some parchment paper on a baking sheet, and dust it with some flour.

Separate your egg whites, then chuck them in the mixing bowl with the vinegar and sugar.  It is literally this easy.

Mix the heck out of them on high speed for about a thousand years (it really took 10-ish minutes maybe, although it did feel like ages), until the mixture forms stiff peaks and it's thick and shiny.

Then, pour it onto your baking sheet, making a circle that's about 20cm in diameter (or dividing it evenly into several smaller circles). Leave a bit of a lip around the edge(s) to hold the toppings in later.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until it starts to turn golden and crispy. When it's done, turn off the oven, but leave the pavlova inside until it's cooled. (You can crack the oven door open a bit if you're impatient and want to speed up the process.)

At this point, if you're not using the pavlova right away you can seal it up in an airtight container and store it in a cool, dry place. When you're ready to serve it, top it with whipped cream and whatever fruit toppings you'd like - I used strawberries and blackberries, a couple of my favourites. If you're trying to please an Aussie? Use a bit less cream than I did! Still, it was really tasty, and definitely a nice, light(ish) dessert for the summer!

Enjoy!

c.