Linda Choi’s Pavlova

Feeds 8 - 10 people
Prep time 20m
Cook time 60m

Description

Pavlova is a light and airy dessert with a crisp meringue shell and a soft, marshmallow-like centre. Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this elegant treat is typically topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, such as berries, passion fruit or kiwi, adding a perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. The delicate texture of the meringue contrasts beautifully with the luscious cream and juicy fruit, making it a showstopping dessert for any occasion. Whether served at a summer gathering or a festive celebration, Pavlova is a timeless favourite that impresses with both its simplicity and sophistication.

Ingredients

For the Meringue:
6 medium egg whites
225g caster sugar
5ml (1tsp) cornflour
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) white wine vinegar
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla essence
Linda’s Tip for a Pav with a twist is a hazelnut one, if you’d like to try this fold in 100g of ground hazelnuts to the meringue mixture.
Simple Topping:
2 punnets of soft fruit: raspberries, blueberries, use strawberries or go tropical with a topping of kiwi, banana and mango.
Icing sugar
Chopped mint leaves
Rosemary leaves
Dark chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 150ºC / 140ºC fan / 300ºF / GM 2.
Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment, and draw round a dinner plate (20cm-ish circle) in the centre of the paper. Turn the paper over so the marking is underneath and won’t transfer to the meringue.
Place the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl and use an electric whisk (a stand mixer makes this even easier), whisking them until stiff and dry.
Add the sugar, a spoon at a time, whisking all the while until the mixture is smooth, glossy and holds stiff peaks.
Gently fold in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla with a large metal spoon. Just be gentle – don’t knock all the air back out.
Spoon the mixture onto the parchment. With the back of the metal spoon, spread it to just within the circle, making decorative swirls, leaving a shallow dip in the centre.
Bake for 1hr until the meringue base and sides are crisp but not browned. Leave to cool on a cake rack – cracking is totally normal as it cools.
Whilst it is cooking prep your topping; for the simple version, just whip your cream until it is gently peaking and chop any large fruit into bite-size pieces.
Place the cooled pavlova on a large serving plate, spoon some cream on and smooth a layer across the centre.
Scatter a few handfuls of your fruit on the bottom cream layer.
Spoon the rest of the cream into the centre, spreading thickly and evenly almost to the edge.

Linda Choi’s Pavlova

Linda Choi’s Pavlova

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