Recipe: Vicki Ravlich-Horan | Photography: Brydie Thompson
There is not a more classic dessert than a pav! Growing up, neighbourhood BBQs were a regular occurrence in our street and Shirley Morrison was the Pav Queen. I remember them coming in one of two ways, topped with Kiwifruit or jelly crystals. This was well before freeze dried fruit powders were available and thus an inventive way for 80s home cooks to achieve a similar effect.
In this take on the pav, I pay homage to Shirley’s creations, but instead of jelly crystals I have turned the world famous in New Zealand, L&P, into jelly and paired it with fresh kiwifruit, and of course lashings of cream!
4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cream
1 cup yoghurt
kiwifruit, peeled and cubed
L&P jelly
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
Very, very slowly add the sugar. When all the sugar is beaten in, continue to beat for a further minute. Fold in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla.
Spread the mixture on a lined baking tray in an approximately 20cm circle.
Bake for one hour in a 160°C oven. Once cooked turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool in the oven.
Whip cream to soft peaks then fold in the yoghurt and pile on top of the pav before decorating with cubes of jelly and kiwifruit.
L&P Jelly
2 cups L&P
1 tbsp gelatine
In a small pot reduce the L&P by half. Dissolve the gelatine in a ¼ cup of the hot L&P syrup before incorporating it with the remaining liquid. Stir to ensure all the gelatine has dissolved. Pour into a plastic container and set in the fridge.
Tips for the Perfect Pav
- Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature as opposed to straight out of the fridge.
- Frozen egg whites work really well, just ensure they are completely defrosted and at room temperature before trying to whip them.
- Make sure your bowl and whisk are completely clean and dry!
- If your cooked pavlova has a few bubbles of sugar on it this may be because of the humidity in your oven. Prop the oven door open ever so slightly while it cooks to allow the steam to escape.
- If flavouring your pav (i.e. chocolate or with nuts etc), fold in the flavour very carefully at the same time as you do the cornflour and vinegar.
- A stand mixer makes light work of making a pav! Just another reason to invest in a Kitchen Aid! (Visit The Scullery in Hamilton or Red Kitchen in Te Awamutu to see the amazing range.)
