Pavlova is a dessert made with meringue, whipped cream and fresh fruit such as pineapple, kiwi, mango and red berries. The dessert was named in honor of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Pavlova is unique in that it is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Several countries claim to have invented it, but everyone agrees on the popularity and importance of this dessert in the gastronomy of many countries.

Special utensils

• An electric whisk and ice cubes to whip up the whipped cream
• Pastry bag.

Ingredients

La meringue

• 3 egg whites (95 g weighed egg whites)
• 95 g caster sugar
• 95 g powdered sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Home-made whipped cream

• Put the utensils you’ll use to make the whipped cream in the fridge for 10 min (container and whisk).
• 20 cl cream with 30% fat, pre-chilled in freezer for 10 min
• 30 g powdered sugar.
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar, evening approx. 6.5 g

Seasonal fruit

• There’s a choice to suit every taste: kiwi, mango or red fruit. I chose an assortment of strawberries and kiwis.

How to prepare Pavlova

• Take the egg whites out of the fridge to bring them to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 120°c (th. 3).
• Pour the egg whites into a container. Add a pinch of salt and the lemon juice.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff with an electric whisk.
• When the egg whites are stiff, gently fold in the caster sugar, then the powdered sugar, and whisk again for a few minutes. The meringue should be smooth in texture, brilliantly white and, above all, remarkably dense.
• Using a pastry bag, pipe the meringue in a circle onto a silicone cloth or buttered parchment paper.
• Bake for at least 45 min at 120°c, then 20 min at 100°c, then leave in the oven until cool (about 2 hours).

• While the meringues are cooling in the oven, place our utensils and the liquid cream in the freezer for 10 min.
• Fill a large bowl with ice cubes, then place a smaller bowl in which to beat the cream.
• Initially, whisk from bottom to top, then when it starts to thicken, whisk down and round for absolute efficiency.
• Stop as soon as the whipped cream is compact.

• To make the Pavlova, we use a piping bag to cover our meringue with our homemade chantilly, followed by an assortment of fruit. Let your imagination run wild.

Tips

• Before preparing your whipped cream, place your mixer bowl, beaters and liquid cream in the freezer for 10 minutes, or place your bowl in a larger container filled with ice cubes.
• The cream must be whole cream. It must contain sufficient fat (at least 30%) for it to set effectively.
• Stop whisking as soon as it’s firm and chill. Be careful not to continue, or the cream will turn to butter.
• Avoid fruit with too much sugar, as meringue and chantilly are sweet. Choose tangy fruits such as kiwis or red fruits (blueberries, raspberries or redcurrants).

Original ideas (Anthony corner)

1. Use food coloring to add color to your meringue.
2. Use food flavoring to flavor your whipped cream.