Pavlova Torte - a Christmas star



When cooked properly, the outside of the meringue shell will be crunchy, with a marshmallow-like texture on the inside.

Pavlova has become a star of Australian Christmas desserts. It was invented in the 1920s or 1930s, and is named for the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. Sources, however, are in dispute over whether the dessert was actually invented in Australia or in New Zealand. It can be served with whipped cream and fruit or alternatively, with custard or lemon curd made from the egg yolks.

Because pavlova is made primarily of egg whites and sugar, it is a relatively light and low-calorie dessert.
It is possible to prepare pavlova a day in advance of serving, if you leave the meringue shell overnight in the oven after turning off the heat. When the cake has been decorated with whipped cream, it can be left in the refrigerator for a day or two; however, it will lose its crunchiness as the moisture from the cream soaks into the meringue shell. The following version uses a custard creme as a topping and to join the two layers.

Pavlova Torte
Serves 10
8 egg whites
300g (11/2 cups) caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Fruit of choice for topping and serving on the side - strawberries, kiwifruit and passionfruit pulp are favourites but I added raspberries and blueberries for extra colour and flavour.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Line 2 baking trays then draw a 22 cm disc on each piece of paper.

Using an electric beater beat egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at time until thick and glossy. Beat in the cornflour and vinegar.

Spoon the meringue evenly between the prepared discs; with the intended top one, use a small spoon to form little peaks around the edge of the pavlova. Bake for approx an hour, until pavlova is dry to the touch. swapping the trays halfway through cooking. Turn off oven, leave door ajar and leave pavlova to cool completely, overnight if desired or store in an airtight container.

Custard Creme
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup thickened cream or Greek yoghurt
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornflour until smooth and creamy.
Place this mixture into a saucepan, gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens.
Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Custard will be quite thick in consistency.
Remove from heat, pour into a separate bowl and cover the surface of the custard with glad wrap. Allow to cool to prevent a skin forming on the top.
Fold in cream or Greek yoghurt.
Join the two layers with custard and spread it on top layer. top with your fruit of choice.

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