Pavlova

This interesting dessert originated in Australia and was made to celebrate the visit from a Russian ballerina called Anna Pavlova. It is basically a twist on the classic meringue but instead of tiny bites sized meringues this is a giant meringue, topped with whipping cream and fresh fruit.

The first time I tried to make this recipe it was a total disaster. Mistake number one was that I tried to beat the egg whites with the paddle attachment instead of the whisk on my Kitchen Aid mixer. My next mistake was that I added the cornstarch before the eggs whites had been mixed well enough. Then it went from bad to worse. Discouraged that my recipe wasn't working, I decided to try and salvage my cornstarch and egg whites by getting creative. I tried to add flour and turn the batter into cookies. I used the wrong temperature clearly because after 10 minutes, the kitchen was filled with smoke and the fire alarm was ringing. What can I say? Sleep deprived teenagers and Mondays don't mix well!

When I tried this recipe again it turned out great and was easier then I had thought it would be. This really taught me that it is completely healthy to make mistakes and the results are often worth it. Like one of my favorite childhood television shows always says, "Take chances, make mistakes and get messy".

Yields: 1 cake

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 egg whites
1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 kiwis, sliced (or your choice of fresh fruit)
1 cup whipping cream (or Cool Whip, thawed)

Directions

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 9-inch circle with a pencil on the paper. This will act as your guide lines for the meringue.

2. In the bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat egg whites until they are well mixed. Add in cornstarch and the mix until white and foamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks start to form. Quickly add in lemon juice and vanilla. 

3. Spread the meringue inside the circle you have drawn and build up the edges of the pavlova to form a rim. Bake for 40 minutes or until crispy. Important - Turn off the oven and open he door, letting the pavlova completely cool before you take it out of the oven. This keeps the meringue from cracking from the change in temperature. When cooled remove from oven and top with the whipping cream that has been whipped with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks have formed. For some reason this would not work for me so in the end I used some thawed Cool Whip. 

4. Peel and slice the kiwis into thin slices and arrange in a pretty pattern on top of the cake. Let it sit for 10 minutes before you serve it to let the centre soften a bit. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve and keep cool.   

Adapted from William Sanoma The Best of Kitchen Library: Desserts