I’m back with a baking post… sort of. We had Lucy’s parents over for dinner a couple of weeks ago and I made Mexican food (Tex Mex). I didn’t want to serve a heavy cake for dessert, so I decided to really put my new hand mixer (available here) to the test and make a pavlova. I’ve never made meringue before and half way through the process I said to Lucy “I don’t even know if I like meringue”. Turns out it’s pretty good!
I’m much more of a decadent (peanut butter and chocolate) dessert person, but what I liked about this pavlova is the combination of fruit mixed with the tangy cream. It’s a Jamie Oliver recipe and he was on to something when he thought to fold non-fat yoghurt into the cream because the tanginess cuts into the sweetness of the meringue. I also added some vanilla bean paste to it and I think it worked out well.
Give this recipe a try at your next BBQ or summer party; you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients:
6 large egg whites
300g. caster sugar
1 pinch salt
400g. strawberries and raspberries
200ml. double cream (or whipping cream)
200ml. fat-free yoghurt
2 tbsp. caster sugar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 150C. Place your egg whites into a large bowl and mix on medium speed until they start to form firm peaks (about 6-8 min.).
With your mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Turn the mixer onto high and whisk for a further 7-8 minutes until the meringue is white, glossy, and smooth.
Line two baking trays with parchment. Divide the meringue mixture evenly between them and shape each blob into a circle about 20cm across. Bake for 1 hour until the meringues look slightly golden.
Halve or quarter the strawberries and mix with the raspberries. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and then fold in the yoghurt and vanilla bean paste. Spoon half the cream mixture on top of one meringue and smooth it out. Sprinkle some of the berries on top. Place the other meringue on top and press down gently to stick them together. Spread the remaining cream on the top layer and sprinkle the rest of the berries on top.
This recipe is fairly easy and it definitely helps to have a powerful mixer to do all the hard work!
Looks perfect for summer!