Ms Lowe in action

An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella

Pavlova

Ingredients

5 egg whites
1 1/4 cup of caster sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon of vinegar
1 1/4 tablespoons of cornflour
400ml of thickened cream
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
Fruit of your choice (I used 1/2 punnet of strawberries sliced, 2 kiwifruit peeled and sliced and 2 tablespoons of passionfruit)

Directions

Step 1 – Preheat oven to 200⁰C. Mark a 20 x 20 cms square on a sheet of baking paper. Make sure that mixing bowl and beaters are thoroughly clean (I always wash them with detergent and very hot water beforehand and leave it to air dry). If there is any fat or oil on these your pavlova will not beat up stiffly. Apparently, you could also rub the beater and bowl with a cut half of lemon although I’ve never done this.

Step 2 – Separate yolks from whites, ensuring that no yolk goes into the whites at all. Beat in the electric mixer on low at first then increase speed gradually until it starts to get fluffy. Add vinegar and roughly 1/3 of the sugar by the tablespoon until the mixture turns dry looking. Then add another 1/3 of the sugar gradually and beat until stiff and sugar has dissolved. Test by inverting the bowl, if the meringue does not move then it is ready. Fold in remaining sugar and cornflour.

Step 3 – Arrange in a square shape on the baking paper using the written border and using a knife or spatula smooth the top and make stripe patterns on the side.

Step 4 – Reduce heat to 130⁰C. Place on middle rack and bake for 1.5 hours. Once its time is up, leave it to cool in the oven with the door propped open (to reduce cracking).

Step 5 – Whip cream and sugar until you get lovely voluptuous soft peaks. Either pipe or pile the cream onto the pavlova. Then arrange fruit on top as you please and eat. Be prepared for seconds requests.

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