You probably know that this light dessert was named in honor of the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. During her tours in Australia and New Zealand in 1926, the public was greatly fascinated by the dance of airy and sophisticated Anna. It was during this period that this dessert was created and the culinary war between the two states regarding the country of origin of Pavlova continues up to this day.
You can prepare Pavlova for all seasons, but in summer, it becomes especially relevant, because we have lots of fresh berries, which is ideal for this dessert. Crispy outside and moist inside - this is perfect Pavlova, follow the tips and prepare your ideal dessert.
To prepare Pavlova you will need:
Start whisking of an egg white, when the mass turns white and begins to harden, slowly add sugar, about one tablespoon, and continue to whisk continuously.
Tip: egg whites should be of room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees, in case of an electric oven, top and bottom heat. Lay the paper on a baking sheet, you can draw the circle or circles beforehand and turn the paper over.
Meringue should become firm and glossy, and only then add vanilla extract and starch. When the starch dissolves, stop stirring. Spread the whole mass on a baking sheet or divide it into two equal parts on a drawn circle. It is also possible to make cute meringues with a pastry bag, however, Pavlova shown on the photo is formed with the help of a metal spatula. We make the stripes from the bottom towards the top, round the shape as far as possible. Deepen the surface with a spoon and place in the oven.
Bake at 150 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 120 degrees and continue baking for 30 - 45 minutes (depending on the size).
Leave the baked meringue in the closed oven for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.
Note: It is very important not to open the oven during the baking process to avoid splitting of a baked meringue.
The central part of baked Pavlova is deepened and needs to be filled with cream and berries. The simplest way would be to fill it up with the cream, e.g. with cream Shanti, which goes with Pavlova very well. To prepare it, whisk 200 grams cream (35%) and 50 grams powdered sugar up to medium thickness.
You can prepare berry Confit beforehand – cook 300 g raspberries or other berries with 30 g sugar and 2 tbsp. water for 5 minutes. Blend the mass, strain, to remove the raspberry stones, put it back in the saucepan, add 1 tbsp. corn starch and simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
To make Pavlova, pour the Confit and cream by turns, finish with berries.