Nothing beats a beautiful pavlova! It’s a wonderful summer desert … light, always popular and can be decorated to be the showpiece of your table. This lovely recipe was devised by foodie Ilse van der Merwe (The Food Fox) and inspired by Sense of Place by Stellenbosch Hills’ range of wines.
You’ll need:
5 XL egg whites; pinch of salt; 300g caster sugar; 10ml lemon juice; 15ml corn flour; 5ml vanilla extract; 3 tablespoons icing sugar for dusting (optional); 250ml fresh cream, whipped to medium stiff peaks; a selection of fresh seasonal berries (2 – 3 cups); a few tablespoons passion fruit pulp (fresh or canned).
To make:
Pre-heat oven to 150°C (regular convection) with rack on the middle shelf. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer with balloon whisk, whisk the egg whites in a big, clean bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the castor sugar to egg whites while whisking, a tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated and the mixture is stiff and glossy. Add the lemon juice and corn flour.
Draw a circle on the back of a piece of baking paper – about 23cm in diameter. Draw another circle in the middle, about 10 cm in diameter. Turn the paper over and stick it to a baking sheet using small amounts of pavlova mixture, then use two large spoons to spoon the mixture into a wreath shape on the paper. Transfer it to the oven, immediately turning down the heat to 110°C, then bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova to cool completely without opening the door (about 2 hours).
Remove pavlova from the oven and keep in an airtight container until ready to use (keep it on the baking paper as long as you can). When ready to serve, carefully remove the baking paper from the bottom of the pavlova and carefully place it on a serving dish. If it cracks here and there, don’t stress, you can patch it with the whipped cream.
Dust lightly with icing sugar (optional), then top with whipped cream, fresh berries and a few drizzles of passion fruit pulp. Serve at once. Note: The pavlova can be made a day ahead (undecorated), if kept in an airtight container. Once decorated, it must be served immediately.
About Sense of Place
The award-winning Sense of Place wines are a great go-to for the festive season, offering wine lovers an easy solution for every occasion. A top-quality gift, a refreshing all-rounder or a bold food wine, this flagship range from premier vineyards of Stellenbosch has it all. The property from which the fruit for the Anna Christina bubbly is sourced also farms berries, which makes the use of berries in the festive season pavlova recipe most appropriate. Sense of Place wines are available at selected leading wine specialists around the country and online store.
Details: www.stellenbosch-hills.co.za, 021 881 3828/9, [email protected], @stellenbosch_hills.
