Pavlova is a typical dessert from Australia and New Zealand created by a chef from Perth in honor of the ballerina Anna Pavlova. And precisely because it is dedicated to a ballerina it has a very light airy consistency…
The extraordinary thing about Pavlova is that it is able to make everyone smile. You can vary it in a thousand ways and it will always be liked. Eating it the next day is even better. And above all it is quite simple to make. All you need is the patience of the meringue…
Ingredients:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 pinch of salt and 2 drops of lemon
- 320 g of granulated sugar (if icing sugar is even better)
- 150 ml of fresh cream
- 4 tablespoons of vanilla icing sugar
- a mix of fresh berries (blackberries, strawberries and wild strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
In a large bowl with high edges, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and the drops of lemon until stiff.
At this point add the sugar, little by little, continuing to whip (do not overdo the speed, the mixture must not heat up too much). You will obtain a white, compact and very shiny mixture.
Put the meringue mixture in a piping bag without a nozzle (if you don’t have one, use a spoon) and create a meringue disk with a diameter of about 20 cm and a thickness of 1-2 cm on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. If possible, try to create a small edge by placing another strip of meringue on the outer edge of the disk.
Set the oven temperature to 90°C – fan-assisted and bake the meringues. They should dry slowly and this will take 2-3 hours.
In the meantime, whip the fresh cream with an electric whisk. Once whipped, add the icing sugar and mix well with a spoon. Put in the refrigerator for a few hours. Wash and clean the fruit and dry it very delicately. If the strawberries are too large, cut them into wedges.
When the meringue has become white and hard (be careful to keep it moist inside and not let it brown!), remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Place the meringue base on the serving dish, cover with a generous layer of cream and decorate with plenty of fresh berries and small meringues if you like and a dusting of powdered sugar and a few fresh mint leaves. If not serving immediately, store in the refrigerator (consider to prepare the pavlova on the same day or at maximum to have it prepared for the day after, the meringue in the fridge tends to become softer and chewy).
