Family is possibly the most important part of my life. And by "family" I mean from my mom, my in-laws and my sister to my closest friends.
Living abroad has taught me to value people in a different way, stronger, more powerful.
I am now able to "find family" everywhere I go, cherry pick those who will be by my side throughout life, no matter if from very close or far far away...
Every time "family" is around I try to make sure that they leave our house with a sweet taste in their mouths after all, what's better than cooking for family? :)
Last Sunday my husband's family was over for lunch.
We had an amazing time and to wrap it up I served pavlova.
Pavlova - believe it or not - is a dessert named after a famous Russian ballerina... I like to think it's Irish as this is where I first tasted pavlovas.
My recipe is a mix of a couple of recipes out there ... I truly hope you enjoy it!
INGREDIENTS
For the meringue...
- 4 large egg whites at room temperature
- A pinch of salt
- 225g/8oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp corn flour
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 4 drops of natural vanilla essence
For the filling...
- 1 punnet strawberries
- 1 punnet of raspberries
- A handful of blueberries
- A handful of blackberries
- 250ml double cream
- 1 vanilla pod
- 1oz icing sugar
- Seasonal berries to decorate
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas 2/Fan Oven 130°C
- Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment paper and draw on a nine-inch circle
- Make the meringue in a large clean bowl
- Whisk the egg whites and salt into stiff peaks
- Slowly add the sugar, a third at a time, whisking well between each addition until the mixture is stiffened and shiny
- Sprinkle in the corn flour, vinegar and vanilla, fold in gently with a metal spoon
- Pile the meringue onto the paper circle and make a deep hallow in the centre
- Put in the oven and reduce heat to 120°C/Gas ½/Fan Oven 100°C
- Cook for 1½ to 2 hours, until pale brown but a little soft in the centre
- Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and cool completely
- To make the filling, whip the cream with vanilla seeds and the icing sugar until thick
- Slice the fruits, if necessary
- Peel the paper off the pavlova and transfer to a plate
- Pile on the cream mixture, put the fruits on top, garnish with other fruits and serve
