May 3, 2014
I really don’t know why I have been hesitating for such a long time to bake my own pavlova. Probably because I absolutely hate meringue: I don’t like the crispy texture of that, and plain white color. So pavlova was something similar in my mind just in a bigger size. Brrr…
But this week so many egg whites were crowded in my fridge that I had to something with them. And I remembered pretty well for the sentence of that very kind old lady on the market who asked seeing me carrying a big bunch of rhubarbs, what I was going to bake with them. I listed my many fantastic desserts and at the end she smiled and asked me what about a pavlova with rhubarb. I don’t like pavlova. Really, how come? It’s one of the best treat-she said.
Ok, I had to do something with egg whites so I withdrew all my prejudices and baked a pavlova.
Well, what can I say? I was not very clever that I had been waiting for so long. It was simply incredible! The texture is far away from meringue’s texture as it’s soft and silky, tender and moist, and as I added some ground walnut it was not plain at all. I reduced the amount of sugar comparing to traditional recipes as I really don’t like too sweet desserts. Rhubarb is a great company of pavlova as it’s sour flavor balances pretty well the sweetness of cake.
In my country today is Mother’s Day. How I could celebrate it better than send my Pavlova virtually to my Mum, my Grandmom, and my Mother-in-law? I bet, they would love it!
Happy Mother’s Day to every Mum all over the world!
Ingredients:
6 egg whites
200 gr granulated cane sugar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp ground walnut
200 ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
400 gr fresh or frozen rhubarb stalks
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp runny honey
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
a good handful of walnut roughly chopped
- Heat oven to 160C. Using a pen, draw a circle with about 8-10 cm diameter on a greaseproof paper.
- Whisk the egg whites in the bowl of a stand 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 in a separate bowl, then add to the egg whites and beat about for 2 minutes. Add the walnut spoon by spoon and stir carefully with a rubber spatula.
- Spread the meringue inside the circle, creating a crater by making the sides a little higher than the middle. Turn the heat to 100 C. Bake for 1 hr 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the Pavlova cool completely inside the oven.
- Meanwhile trimm rhubarb stalks, cut into 2 cm long sticks and place into a glass or ceramic dish. Mix with sugar, vanilla and honey and bake in the oven on 150 C for 20-25 minutes until gets pink but still keeps its shape. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
- When the meringue and rhubarb are cool whip the cream with sugar and vanilla until gets firm.
- Take on meringue on a cake stand, spread one or two tbsp whipped cream over the top then sprinkle with some walnut then some rhubarb. Place the next meringe on that and repeat the process. Garnish the top with rhubarb and pour over some rhubarb syrup.
- Serve immediately.
Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things
Anniko, how exquisite!
dina
it looks amazing!
Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things
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