Jul 01, 2008
I tried another Pavlova recipe that turned out much more to my Aussie husband's liking - and I must admit to mine as well. I used 4 whites, vinegar (not lemon juice - there's a reason for this) a bit less corn starch, about 1.5 tsp. and I put my 1 cup of sugar in my food processor to create a castor sugar - a fine blend, which mixed easier into the meringue by adding it 1 TBS at a time during the whipping process. The recipe called for drawing a 7 inch (not a 9 inch) circle and simply mounding it (no fancy piping) onto the circle with edges as straight as possible, then creating a small well for the cream. It then said to bake it at 250 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes and after it's done baking, turn the heat off and leave the oven door cracked slightly open for at least 30 minutes, or until cooled enough to handle the pan without oven mitts. If it cracks, that's good and if it weeps it's over cooked and that's bad. It was a golden brown and incredibly tender and sublime. The crunchy light outside of the cake melted in your mouth, while the interior filled it with light delight - much like a marshmallow cream center. I topped it with lightly sweetened whipped cream and used strawberries and blueberries. Next time I might use a tart fruit like a black or boysenberry and raspberries to offset the sweetness of the meringue. My husband had thirds and said it was the nicest Pavlova he's had anywhere in Australia. The recipe came from an Aussie chef, Stephanie Alexander
—LemonLush
