The Perfect Pavlova

This blog is all about Pavlovas. You all must be wondering what is this Pavlova?  Don't worry. This dessert is one of the most easy dessert one could make and is a perfect delight during summers.

Going to the origin of this dish(dessert). Pavlova is an meringue based dessert which is a perfect blend of crispness and softness. The crispness comes from the exterior when the meringue is baked and the centre of the pavlova is amazingly gooey and marshmallowy which brings the softness.

This dessert is very famous in Australia and i personally came across this dessert while watching Masterchef Australia. Personally on seeing a picture of it for the first time, I thought it must be a tedious task to prep and make it.

Doesn't it look brilliant and something which would need a ton load of labour?

But once I got to know the recipe I was amazed on how easy it was to create that exquisite and beautiful dessert.

Now all those wondering what a meringue is, it is just beating the egg whites at a high speed until its light and fluffy. A good way to check whether the egg whites are ready is when once the bowl containing the egg whites is held upside down, the egg whites are firm enough and don't fall.
It should look something like that:

The most important thing to be kept in mind to make/bake the PERFECT PAVLOVA is to make sure that the meringue is baked just right and not over or under done.

This recipe is definitely a winner during summers as I had mentioned earlier and can be topped with cream and any tropical fruit like passion fruit, berries and many more.

The recipe for a pavlova is below:

INGREDIENTS:

For the meringue: 

         4 egg whites

         250g caster sugar

         1 tsp white wine vinegar

         1 tsp cornflour

         1 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

         500g strawberries, hulled and halved

         200g redcurrants, stalks removed

         3 tbsp icing sugar

         350ml double cream

Method:

1. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Using a pencil, mark out the circumference of a dinner plate on baking parchment. Whisk the egg whites with a hand mixer until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until the meringue looks glossy. Whisk in the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla.

2. Spread the meringue inside the circle, creating a crater by making the sides a little higher than the middle. Bake for 1 hr, then turn off the heat and let the Pavlova cool completely inside the oven.

3. When the meringue is cool, chop 100g of the strawberries. Mix them with half the red currants and 2 tbsp icing sugar. Place in a food processor, blitz until smooth, then push the fruit mixture through a sieve. Whip the cream with the remaining icing sugar and spread it over the meringue. Put the remaining fruit on the cream and finally pour the sauce over the whole lot.

Here is a picture of the Pavlova I had made quite some time back:

First Ever Recipe

It's been a while since I have written anything on my blog so I decided to commence the blog journey yet again. I have now decided to make this blog more 'FOOD' related. I know everyone must be already salivating reading my previous line and if you people aren't, then I'm sure everyone would once the blogs are out.

Since this is the first blog of my newly transformed "FOOD BLOG", I will start with a recipe which I learnt for the very first time. Since starting anything by eating something sweet is seen as a good omen, I will start with a dessert recipe. 

This recipe was taught to me by my mom and is very close to my heart. I still remember, it was in December and we were organising a Barbecue party at my place. We were done with almost all preparations and had all the To-Do list check boxes ticked except the DESSERT. 

My mom gave me the idea of making TIRAMISU. Let alone knowing what it was, I didn't even have a clue of how it was spelled. It is basically an Italian coffee-flavoured dessert which is made by forming layers of tongue biscuits dipped in coffee liquor and mascarpone cheese.

I still remember how my mom taught me each step in the preparation meticulously and how I would make a complete mess of things while trying to copy him and do the same. But my mom never discouraged and would instead motivate me by saying that it was just a matter of practice till I got the recipe spot on. 

Once all the components are ready its just a matter of layering the Tiramisu. Once layered we kept it in the refrigerator to be set. 

This wholesome dessert ended up being the show stopper at the party and everyone took an extra piece of it. I was elated to see people smile and compliment the dessert even though I did not make it myself but was a part of it.

It was then that I realised that more than making a good dish, it is the smile on the face of others that gives you the maximum level of satisfaction. 

The recipe for the dessert is as follows:

Ingredients:

6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature*

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup good dark rum, divided

1 1/2 cups brewed espresso, divided

16 to 17 ounces mascarpone cheese

30 Italian ladyfingers, or savoiardi

Bittersweet chocolate, shaved or grated

Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions:

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until very thick and light yellow. Lower the speed to medium and add 1/4 cup rum, 1/4 cup espresso, and the mascarpone. Whisk until smooth.

Combine the remaining 1/4 cup rum and 1 1/4 cups espresso in a shallow bowl. Dip 1 side of each ladyfinger in the espresso/rum mixture and line the bottom of a 9 by 12 by 2-inch dish. Pour half the espresso cream mixture evenly on top. Dip 1 side of the remaining ladyfingers in the espresso/rum mixture and place them in a second layer in the dish. Pour the rest of the espresso cream over the top. Smooth the top and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle the top with shaved chocolate and dust lightly with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

P.S. The ingredients in the recipe can be substituted by any other desired substitute.