Desserts
Blackberry and Nectarine Pavlova
A crisp exterior shatters away on slicing this pavlova to reveal a super soft, spongy centre, piled high with whipped cream and fruit.
There seems to be much trepidation around pavlova-making, for some reason.
I guess on one hand, the dissolving of sugar into egg whites to form a pillowy cloud does seem like some sort of sorcery. But on the other hand, with just two key ingredients, how hard can it really be?
As usual, the devil's in the detail and whilst the steps to making this delicious dessert are not difficult, it is important to follow the recipe precisely!
I've worked so hard on perfecting this recipe that I shot it twice! I do think that the flatter pavlova lends itself to a better, more stable structure, than a taller one.
What equipment do I need to make this blackberry and nectarine pavlova?
Important
Grease is the enemy of whipping egg whites, so I suggest wiping down all your equipment with a paper towel and vinegar until it is squeaking (literally) clean.
Stand mixer / hand mixer
A stand mixer with a whisk attachment is ideal, but you can also do this with a hand mixer. If using a hand mixer, ensure that your water and sugar are readily on hand to add in whilst still whisking the egg whites.
Bowls
It's much better to use ceramic/stainless steel bowls for the simple fact that it's easy to spot grease in the ceramic bowls as opposed to plastic.
Spoons
There aren't any special alloys in metal spoons, yet many recipes call for them for the simple reason like above, they are easier to spot grease than plastic spoons.
Oven thermometer
Most ovens run hotter than they actually are meant to. For example, I set my oven to 130˚ Celsius and it heats to 160˚ Celsius. That is the main reason as to why pavlovas expand faster than they are meant to and then collapse. An oven thermometer is around R150 and can be bought online from Yuppiechef.
What ingredients do I need to make this blackberry and nectarine pavlova?
Egg whites
It is critical that you use the freshest egg whites you can find as these will whip up the best.
It is also imperative that absolutely no streaks of yolk get into the egg whites, so crack the eggs and separate them carefully. I prefer to crack the whole egg into a bowl and then gently scoop out the yolk with my clean fingers. I let the egg whites drip through my fingers to leave only the yolk behind.
It is far easier to separate the eggs when they are cold as there is less chance of the yolk breaking. You do want the eggs to be at room temperature to ensure they whip up to their fullest, so once separated, ensure that they come up to room temperature.
Salt
A bit of salt brings a much-needed balance to the otherwise sugary meringue.
Cream of tartar
The acid from the cream of tartar helps to stabilise the air bubbles which trap in between the protein strands of the egg whites, whilst being whisked.
This isn't essential, but is a safety precaution if you do not have the freshest eggs. Cream of tartar is also relatively inexpensive and lasts a long time.
Caster sugar
The granules of caster sugar are much smaller than normal, granulated sugar, which means it better dissolves into the egg whites and prevents the meringue from weeping (some liquid which forms on the baking sheet, once baked due to it not fully being incorporated into the egg).
Water
A bit of an unconventional one and a tip I learnt from Zoë François, who is a pavlova-making expert. It helps produce a much softer meringue in the middle, though does destabilise the meringue a bit. If it's a humid day, I would reduce the water to half the quantity. You may end up with a slightly crunchier meringue, but a more stable one.
Cornflour
The cornflour helps to stabilise the meringue and produce that soft marshmallowy centre. Too much, however, and it just tastes chalky.
Vanilla bean paste
Egg whites have quite a dominant flavour, and I find adding a bit of good quality vanilla bean paste goes a long way in removing the "egginess". That and ensuring that it is fully baked.
Apple cider vinegar
This has similar properties to the cream of tartar and cornflour, but we try to moderate the amount used to avoid an acid taste.
The recipe
Blackberry and Nectarine Pavlova
adventureswithsugar.com/blackberry-and-nectarine-pavlova/
Method
Method: pavlova
- Cut the baking paper: Cut a large piece of baking paper, enough to line a large flat sheet tray. (The tray ideally needs to be bigger than the standard 23cm by 33cm cookie tray, for the pavlova to fit comfortably).
- Trace a circle: To aid in creating a perfect shape, trace an 18cm circle onto the underside of the paper.
- Fix the paper to the tray: Ensure no butter or grease gets onto the top side of the paper. Ensure the traced circle is on the underside of the paper, and adhere the paper to the tray using a little meringue on each of the four corners.
- Preheat the oven: Place the baking rack in the lower third of your oven, and preheat the oven to 130˚ Celsius.
- Whisk the egg whites: Add the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed for 2 – 3 minutes until the egg whites are getting foamy and medium stiff peaks form.
- Add the water and sugar: Add in the cold water, and continue to mix. Then add in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Ensure the sugar is well dissolved before adding more.
- Whisk until glossy: Once all the sugar is added, continue to whisk for a further 5 minutes until the mixture holds stiff peaks and is glossy.
- Fold in the flavourings: Using a metal spoon, fold in the vanilla, cornflour and vinegar until well combined.
- Shape the pavlova: Pile the meringue on your lined baking tray, within the circle you traced. Spread it out into a rough circle, then using an offset spatula (a large bread knife with the blunt edge can work too) start from the base and pull up diagonally, to form a dome-like mound. This really does not have to be perfect.
- Dry in the oven: Place the meringue in the oven to dry for 65 – 75 minutes. Keep an eye on it from around 50 minutes in case your oven runs hot. We're not trying to bake the meringue, just dry it out gently.
- Check for doneness: Your meringue is done when it feels firm on the outside and has taken on an ever-so-slightly tan colour.
- Cool in the oven: Leave the oven door ajar and leave it to cool for another hour, before removing and letting it cool to room temperature.
- Transfer to a cake stand: Use an offset spatula to run the spatula around the base to loosen the pavlova from the baking paper, and transfer onto your cake stand.
Method: decoration
- Whip the cream: Whip 300ml of whipping cream with a teaspoon of icing sugar and vanilla paste, and pile it into the centre of the pavlova. The centre will collapse under the weight of the cream (if it has not done so already) but this is perfectly fine.
- Decorate: Arrange the fruit on the cream and finish off with the granadilla curd.
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