Blueberry Pavlova

The recipe, step by step

This blueberry pavlova, in my opinion, is the perfect indulgent dessert to finish any meal. A crispy outer shell and a fluffy marshmallow centre, topped with pillows of whipped cream and fresh blueberries.

Pavlova was named after the famous Russian Ballerina Anna Pavlova during her tour of New Zealand and Australia in the 1920s. Our family have been making it for generations and loving it.

Making a pavlova sounds like a daunting task but don’t be afraid to give it a go, it comes together with only a few ingredients and it just requires a little patience in the baking process.

RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS

• EASE: Easy.
• FREE FROM: Gluten-free, nut-free.
• TASTE: Sweet meringue with cream and tart fruit.
• TEXTURE: Crisp outside with a melt-in-the-mouth fluffy, light marshmallows centre, smothered in cream and fruit.
• QUANTITY: 10 slices
• TIME: 2 hours 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For this blueberry pavlova recipe, all you need are these 8 ingredients:

• Egg whites – are the main ingredient for our meringue. They need to be at room temperature.

• Caster or icing sugar – is preferred when whisking with egg whites. Granulated sugar can be too heavy for the air in the egg whites.

• Pure vanilla extract or paste – adds flavour to the meringue and enhances the other ingredients. Avoid vanilla essence in this recipe, as you will need to use far too much to be able to taste it.

• Lemon juice – is added to stabilise the meringue. Alternatively, you can use apple vinegar or cream of tartar.

• Cornflour (US – cornstarch) – is optional but it creates the soft centre in the pavlova.

• Whipping cream (US – heavy cream) – is the perfect marriage for this meringue, or you can also use double cream.

• Whole blueberries – made into a compote are just delicious, use fresh or frozen.

• Salt – Dont forget the salt – I highly recommend adding a generous pinch of salt to your desserts. Salt helps balance sweetness and richness while enhancing the other ingredients and bringing out the best flavours in the recipe. Although it may seem contradictory, a small amount of salt can also make sweet foods taste sweeter. Sodium can influence the way our taste receptors respond to sugars, helping us perceive sweetness more clearly. The key is to add just enough to enhance the flavours without making the dessert taste salty.The result is that salt not only alerts our ‘salt sensitivity’, but also our ‘sweet sensitive’ taste buds.

I recommend Maldon Sea salt flakes or Cornish sea salt.

WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?

• The meringue – can also be flavoured with freeze-dried fruits.

• Curds – are a great alternative to using cream. I particularly like lemon or orange curd on top.

• Different fresh fruits – can be used or compotes.

• Decorate – with icing sugar, chocolate shavings or chopped nuts.

Nutrition

Serving: one slice

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and portion size used.

STORAGE AND FREEZING OPTIONS

This dessert will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, but it will absorb moisture and lose its crispness. If you want to make the meringue in advance, once baked keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three weeks.

Freezing: Once the meringue shell is baked it can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To defrost, place the container in the fridge overnight.

Once decorated with the filling, the pavlova should be served immediately.

RECIPE TIPS

Sugar ratio – is important if you want to get a really good French meringue. A ratio of 2:1, sugar to egg is ideal. I have estimated the amount of sugar for 4 egg whites in this recipe, which works – but if you want to get it as close to perfect as possible you should weigh the egg whites and then use double the amount of sugar. (For example: 1 egg white weighs 33g = 66g sugar)

Whisking egg whites – you should always start with a large spotless clean bowl and ensure that no egg yolk or grease can come into contact with them. It is also important to use eggs that are not too fresh and at room temperature. The protein in fresh eggs is really tight, meaning it will take much longer to whisk them and you may end up over whisking them.

Cracks – are not always avoidable and there is nothing wrong with that. To get the best crisp shell and soft centre, we bake at a low temperature and cool it in the oven turned off for 40-50 minutes. This dries out the meringue avoiding major cracks, then we remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature. Let the pavlova cool completely before assembling.

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