CREATIVE COOKING IN THE TIME OF CORONA
a blog about food
❤️THE ULTIMATE PAVLOVA❤️
This has to be my all time favourite dessert. Every time I make it, it changes as I add alternate layers of complementary flavours to make it more and more fabulous. Last night, I concocted the ultimate pavlova - just perfection! I'm not sure I can ever improve on this one but then again, you never know what creative impulse will result in something even better. It must be the frustrated architect in me, building melt-in-the-mouth floors of deliciousness. You can follow this to the letter or let your own fabulous creativity do its own thing. Let me know if yours takes the cake!
INGREDIENTS
Meringue Layer
6 egg whites
350 g caster sugar
2 tbsps corn flour
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tsps lemon juice
Lemon Curd Layer
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
100 ml fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temp and cut into small dice
Fruit Layer
3 fresh passionfruit
1 punnet strawberries, finely sliced
1 tbsp caster sugar
Cream Layer
300ml whipping cream
100g caster sugar
Topping
100g flaked almonds, toasted
pomegranate seeds
METHOD
1. Grease a round cake tin with a removable bottom with butter and line with baking paper. Make sure the paper round the sides is a few inches taller than the tin.
2. Preheat oven to 350C.
3. To make the meringue:
In a stand mixer, or using a hand-held beater, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar, spoonful by spoonful until you have glossy white peaks. Sprinkle the cornflour over the top as well as the grated lemon zest and juice, and gently fold into the clouds of egg white. Tip into your prepared cake tin and place on a baking sheet in the oven. Immediately turn oven down to 110C. Bake for two hours or until the top is crisp but the inside has the texture of marshmallow. Turn off oven. Open door, but leave meringue inside to slowly adjust to new temperature and to prevent too many cracks.
4. To make the lemon curd:
Using a double boiler and making sure the boiling water in the lower saucepan doesn't touch the base of the upper saucepan, place the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice in the top of the double boiler and using a non metallic whisk, whisk for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the butter, bit by bit until you have a lovely glossy lemon curd. Pour into ceramic dish and let cool.
5. Scoop the passionfruit pulp into a small bowl and set aside.
6. Place sliced strawberries in another bowl, and toss slices in 1 tbsp caster sugar and leave to macerate for at least an hour or more.
7. Using you stand mixer or hand-held beater again, whip the cream until it begins to thicken and slowly add your caster sugar, spoonful by spoonful. Tip out into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
8. To toast your flaked almonds:
Place in a dry frying pan over medium heat and toss several times until they begin to brown and release that beautiful almond-y fragrance. This only takes a few minutes so be careful. They burn easily.
9. To assemble your masterpiece:
Gently, release the clip on your cake tin, peel away the baking paper and invert your meringue onto a large round serving plate so the marshmallowy inside is facing up.
Using a flat spatula, spread a thick layer of your lemon curd on top.
Next, do the same with your passionfruit pulp and then your macerated strawberry slices.
Take your whipped cream from the fridge and spoonful by spoonful, add your next l layer, smoothing it out as you go.
Finally, scatter your toasted flaked almonds and pomegranate seeds over the top and serve immediately.