Hello Pavlova Experts,

Can you share your SECRETS on making the best Pavlova's?

I have often why some cooks can make the most perfect Pavlova and normal Joe's like me struggle?

What are the SECRETS ?





Aaron Riddell
Wellington

If your bowl is squeaky clean without a trace of grase that helps also add the sugar in tiny amounts, finally leave the oven door open to dry out the meringue. Favourites are whipped cream passion fruit and strawberry slices. Happy baking

If you searach on this forum you will find several discussions re Pavlovas and peoples hints and experince. One was not too long ago. Go to Search and enter "all Dates"

hi
my secret is beat beat beat after each little bit of sugar added then beat beat beat

Hi Aaron,
My Pav recipe is on this site in discussions but will give it again.
This recipe can be halved for a smaller pav or increased to 1 and 1/2 times for a huge one.

6 egg whites
3 cups sugar
2 tsp malt vinegar
2 tsp cornflour
2 tbs boiling water

Put all ingredients into electric mixer and beat it to death for about 10 minutes or until it is thick, glossy and the sugar is dissolved.
Pile onto a baking paper lined tray
Put into oven preheated to 200oC (yes) for 2 minutes only
Immediately turn down to 100oC for 1 and 1/2 hours
Remove from the oven, cool a little and then remove from paper and put onto serving plate to cool completely.
It has a crisp exterior and a marshmallowy centre.

I have even made this recipe into individual sized ones but only cooking them for 1 hour.
They freeze well, as long as they are put into a plastic container with baking paper between them. Be careful as they are still brittle when frozen. They thaw very quickly for a very convenient and delicious dessert
Good luck
Kind Regards,
Raewyn G

Hi Raewyn and other members,

Thanks for the tips & recipe.

Guess what I will be making this weekend ?

........yum





Aaron Riddell

Older eggs at room temperature are supposed to create a better whip than fresh Aaron.

Hi everyone,

I learnt the art of Pav making very young from my nana...

We've always used a recipe of just eggs, sugar, vinegar, a dash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. No need for cornflour.

As above, the secret really is to beat, beat, beat. I read through one of my Jamie Oliver books over the weekend, and he explained it a little more. Here are some of the key points he made...

* Fat is an absolute killer. Make sure all your equipment is completely clean and bone dry. He suggests pouring boiling water over to make sure, and dry with a clean tea towel. Also, when you separate your eggs, even the tiniest touch of yolk will ruin it, as yolk has fat in it.

* Beat for ages, adding sugar very slowly (like mentioned above). He said it should be thick enough that you can hold the bowl upside down over your head safely

* When you think you have finished beating it, check it's consistency by rubbing a small amount between your fingers... it shouldn't be grainy from the sugar. If it is, you need to beat it some more. Always make sure you use caster sugar too.

* One thing I never knew though, is that you can actually beat too much! Apparently, if you beat for too long, the meringe can actually start to break down?!?! You must have to beat for a very long time to get to that stage though, as I have never experienced that even after beating for what seemed like an absolute age

Hope these tips are useful,
Marcia

PS: Oh yeah, you should always use room temperature eggs, as they are easier to aerate than cold ones



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2009 11:01PM by Marcia.

Kerry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Older eggs at room temperature are supposed to
> create a better whip than fresh Aaron.

Thanks for that tip, Kerry.





Aaron

Hi Marcia,

I now have the confidence to prepare a better Pav than my Mother-In-Law.

And hers are pretty good.








Aaron

I am a Raewyn G pavlova fan! Works for me every time except when the oven is on grill instead of bake.

Thanks Stephanie!!!! Grill is not the best setting for a pav.......but you know that aye?
Sorry, but you did make me smile..........thank you
Kindest Regards,
Raewyn G

A question to all you NZ pavlova pros from an aussie living in Bangkok,

I have made one pavlova here a couple of years ago using the CSR recipe, and it satisfied my Aussie requirements. The problem is now my western staff and some Thais are asking for one for our annual Christmas lunch.

Problem is i really need to cook them a couple of days earlier because the ovens will be busy, but Bangkok has fairly high humidity. I keep reading that I shouldnt bake on a humid day, but every day is humid.

So, do any of you expert pavlovarists have any suggestions? Would refrigerator, or airconditioned room or freezing for example be of any help?

Happy Christmas

In 42 years of married life I had made 2 pavlovas both of which were such a disaster I never made another one until last week when I was given this so simple recipe. It was superb & I'm so proud of my effort that I've offered to make a couple for Christmas Day! None of the old add a little bit of sugar then beat & repeat, just all in together & beat.

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbls boiling water
1tsp vanilla
1tsp vinegar - I used white
3 egg whites at room temperature

Turn oven on to 220c.
Add water to sugar.
Add all other ingredients & beat for 10 minutes.
Put on baking paper lined oven tray.
Put in oven, turn oven off & leave until cold, about 1 hour.

I made a Pavlova the 7 egg one, put it in the oven for 10 minutes on 180 then turned the oven off and left till cold. It looked beautiful but when I touched it it had no crispy outside it was just all marshmellow, so I cooked another one different recipe left the oven on longer and same thing happened.
I have got a DeLonghi wide oven and am wondering if it could be the oven.
Could someone PLEASE PLEASE tell me what I did wronge?

I've found the pavlovas I like (taste and texture) have a ratio of quarter of a cup of sugar per one egg white.

Rayles, although you've used different recipes to what I would use (ratio, cooking method, etc), your oven could have contributed to your end result as I've recently found cooking a pavlova in my lower, small oven is not a good idea and results in a pavlova far inferior to one cooked in the main oven.

Here's the recipe I use:


Pavlova
The ratio is 1 egg white per quarter cup of sugar. This pavlova recipe can be modified to 5 egg whites and one and a quarter cups of caster sugar, with everything else remaining the same.

4 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch salt
1 cup caster sugar
1 tbspn cornflour
2 tspns lemon juice or white vinegar
1 tspn vanilla essence


Preheat oven to 110°C-115°C. Do not use fanbake. If you have an oven setting that uses top and bottom elements for the cooking, use that setting. If you have a double oven, don't cook it in the small oven; always cook it in the main oven. Lightly grease baking tray and dust with cornflour. With an electric beater, beat the egg whites and salt on maximum speed until stiff. Gradually add the sugar, beating constantly until stiff and glossy (you should beat for at least 10 minutes during this stage). On the lowest speed, add cornflour, vinegar and essence and mix until combined. Pile meringue mixture onto prepared tray. Bake until firm, approximately one and a half hours. Turn heat off and allow to cool in the oven. When cool, decorate with fruit and cream, as desired.

Remember - ensure that no yolk gets into the egg white - the smallest amount will ruin the recipe.

Thanks J1 I,ll have another go with your recipe. I did use fan bake, this could have been the trouble. Your recipe sounds great. Fingers crossed this time.

Hi,

We were treated to a "dainty" pavlova with trifle and cream today for our Xmas lunch.

Fantastic.




Aaron Riddell

Firstly, when you start to make your pavlova at 7pm on Xmas Eve, make sure that the whizz dizz KitchenAid Food Processor you were given as a birthday present back in February 2009, has all the attachments it should have for beating egg whites. Then when you have to rush to the supermarket to purchase a pavlova on Xmas Eve, because the said parts were missing, whilst in the supermarket prize open the purchased pavlova box to check the quality of said purchased pavlova. Otherwise you will open said box on Xmas Day after a full sumptuous meal to find one squashed horse shoe shaped pavlova !! And then you won't have to spend the coming days over the holiday season writing a letter of complaint which is not within the Xmas spirit

Irene, what makes me think this has happened to you?

you are spot on Chris. And to add to my Xmas merriment.... thank god I lifted the turkey out of the oven yesterday to baste it, as the rack looked wonky. Said rack decided to snap and at the same time, a huge explosion which was the glass bulb covering shattering. in one zillion pieces. And one hot oven. George managed to fix the rack for me, I finished the turkey and the roast vegies with shattered glass on the bottom of the oven, looking like intended Xmas decorations.. And today... we had to do what we swore we wouldn't do, ie go shopping for a new oven. And the plan is to remodel the kitchen in 12 months time, so I just wanted a cheapie to go in the existing space. Thank you Kitchen n Things for a $599 Indesit.

It's those ding dang Romanian gremlins Irene. Don't let mama near one of your jigsaws.

Jigsaws I can live with... actually she is doing one now, good for the grey matter I say. Thank god she is too scared to even open the dishwasher door - too complicated, so I am safe

Phrrooorrr.. evolution happens in a nana second Irene. Nobody is safe. Beware the rapidly evolving mama.

I live overseas and I find that I cannot buy cater sugar. I ALWAYS put the sugar in the blender and reduce it to a FINE caster sugar to make sure the sugar is ALWAYS incorporated into the white eggs perfectly! Yes, eggs room temperature. If you bake in high altitudes ... 2700 meters high! I add some more cornflour. The rest is the same.

I make the same recipe as Carol, and it has never failed me, until my Mum's birthday on 7th Nov last year, which was a hugely humid day. I can only assume this was the problem, because this pav didn't just weep, it sobbed it's little heart out! The outside shell was soft not crisp, but it still actually tasted nice.