I debated about putting this recipe on the blog. See, my pavlova isn’t very pretty. It’s browned and cracked. But, it tasted great and I’d like to think this blog is more about having fun and eating good food than perfection. So, the pavlova won. And man, I love a pavlova.
I planned on baking all sorts of fun stuff for Valentine’s Day to share with you guys but in the end it all seemed so difficult and this recipe is just simplicity perfected. There are a TON of different methods to making a pavlova but this easy recipe comes from the Australian’s child-friendly cookbook Ready, Steady, Spaghetti. It’s a pretty good cookbook with simple stuff which I like for weeknight inspiration.
If you want a recipe to make with your child, this recipe is not so kid-friendly unless your child can hold back from eating the raw egg whites (mine can’t). If you want to try this marshmallow-y delight but aren’t a baker pick one up from Tourtiere Australienne here in Montreal.
You can literally put anything on top and there are a million different variations. I chose red fruits for the Valentine’s Day theme but you could put any type of berry, passion fruit, or even shaved chocolate (I may have made that one up??)
- 4 egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup superfine (caster) sugar
- 2 tbsp confectioners (icing) sugar
- 1½ cups whipping cream
- bananas, raspberries, blueberries, etc. to decorate
- Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and draw an 8-inch circle.
- Using electric beaters, beat egg whites in a large dry bowl until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and then gradually the superfine sugar beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is thick and glossy and the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the confectioners sugar and beat.
- To test if the sugar has dissolved, rub a small amount of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger. Mixture should feel just slightly gritty. If it feels very gritty continue to beat.
- Spread the meringue mixture onto the sheet inside the marked circle. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Whip cream until soft peaks form. Place on top of cooked and cooled pavlova. Decorate with fruit.
Note: Your beaters and bowl have to be completely clean and dry for the meringue to work.
A reader asked where to get superfine/caster sugar here in Montreal. Most supermarkets carry it in the baking aisle in a box that looks like a 1L milk container. You could also just put some regular sugar in the food processor (I’m sure google could find you the exact instructions)
Michelle Little
Writer & Photographer
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