Pavlova recipe or tips please

Pavlova Foolproof Tips
The sugar must be dissolved completely and thoroughly. Take your time adding sugar to the egg whites in a mixer (with a whisk attachment). One dessertspoon at a time, in one minute intervals. After the sugar is in, and you think its thick and glossy, beat for a further 5mins. The whole process will take at least 15 mins maybe more.
* You’ll know when the meringue is stiff and glossy because the mixture will have tripled in volume
and stands up when the beaters are lifted. I then beat for a further 5mins.
* The low heat puffs up the meringue while the long cooking time dries it out to give you a lovely crisp shell.
*"Pile thickly NOT widely and flatten the top slightly", just like the above poster said, as it will spread out 2 inches and drop 2inches in height.
*Never open the oven door until completely cold.
* Store your pavlova, undressed, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Fold in gently, some Lemon Curd, and the flesh and juice of 5 passionfruit in whipped (soft peaked) double cream. It addes a delightful flavour to the cream.

Quoteshop-a-holic (83 )4:44 pm, Thu 7 Oct #18

This is fool proof but make sure you beat it (I have a kenwood mixer) so I beat for 15 minutes. I have made it with a hand held beater and beaten it to 20 minutes. Also check to see that you get pure icing sugar, not icing sugar with corn flour in it.

6 egg Whites,
3 Cups Icing sugar OR 1c castor sugar (I use castor sugar)
2 teaspoons Cornflour,
2 teaspoons White Vinegar,
2 Tablespoons Boiling water
1 tsp vanilla

Beat the FIRST FOUR Ingredients together while boiling the jug. Add the Boiled Water and vanilla. Beat until thick and smooth (approx 15 mins). Pile onto a baking Paper lined oven tray (pile thickly NOT widely and flatten the top slightly). Cook for 2 mintues at 200 degrees C, then turn down and cook a further 1 1/2 hours at 100 degrees C. (Leave in oven overnight to cool)

Edited by marcs at 8:42 pm, Wed 6 Oct

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marcs (52 )8:41 pm, Wed 6 Oct #12
Another variation which is very decedant is add 3 tbs of sifted good quality cocoa powder and about 100g of 70% dark choc chunks. I use the same recipe above but make two thin discs out if it. Cook the same way as above. I sandwich together with whipped cream and raspberrys. You can use frozen raspberrys however once decorated let it sit for a bit so that the berries can defrost.

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marcs (52 )8:46 pm, Wed 6 Oct #13

Pavlova
6x egg whites at room temp.
pinch salt
2 cups caster sugar
1 1/4 tsp vinegar ( use malt vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to slow (150C)
Beat egg whites wiith salt on high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1tbsp at a time,beating well after each addition. Stop beating when all sugar has been incorporated and fold in vinegar and vanilla. Pile mixture into a greased 20cm springform tin and lightly smooth the top. Place pavlova into oven and bake 45 minutes,then turn oven off and leave with door shut for one hour. Remove from oven to cool completely at room temp. Remove sides from springform tin. Fill pavlova generously with whipped cream and your choice of topping. I usually do freshly sliced Kiwifruit.

Use a non-stick springform tin and use a light spray around the base and sides using a cooking spray.

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cookessentials (1204 )7:42 pm, Mon 11 Oct #38
Or add cinnamon to your meringue mixture, make 3 thin small dinner plate size meringues from your mixture, and cook till crisp.then fill each layer plus the top, with chocolate and cinnamon flavoured cream. Decorate top with flake choc bar. Best made and filled a few hours ahead of serving

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rainrain1 (7 )5:00 am, Fri

PAVLOVA

2 teaspoon cornflour
Pinch of salt
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 and 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon malt or white vinegar

300ml pure cream
250g frozen raspberries, slightly mashed

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Draw a 24cm (diameter) circle on a sheet of baking paper, place on a baking tray. Cut a long strip of baking paper about 10cm wide, make a ring around the circle and fix the ends together with a paper clip or pin – forming a paper case. Dust lightly with 1 teaspoon cornflour.

Step 2:
Beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until very thick and glossy. Add remaining 3 teaspoons cornflour with the last tablespoon of sugar and fold through vanilla and vinegar. Mix gently.

Step 3:
Spoon meringue into the paper case, spreading it out evenly but ensuring a slightly higher edge and a lower centre. Put the pavlova into the pre-heated oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 100 -120’C. Allow to cook very slowly until the interior sets (2-3 hours) or until the outside is dry and crisp. Turn off oven off and cool completely in oven – (leaving the oven door ajar) for up to 6 hours to cool completely (The Pavlova may sink during cooling or collapse if it cools too quickly).

Step 4:
Slide the Pavlova onto a serving plate. Spread with cream and top with raspberries and serve.

This is the recipe I am going to use. Got it off TM sorry can't remember name of poster. It's an 8 egg white one so should be big. Hope so as I have to make 4 of them.
LARGE PAVALOVA
8 egg whites
pinch salt
500g caster sugar
4 teaspoons cornflour
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180degrees. Line a baking sheet with
baking parchment and draw a rough 25cm circle, using a
springform of that size as a guide if you have one.
Whisk the egg whites and salt until satiny peaks form.
Then beat in the sugar slooooowly, tablespoonfuls at a
time, until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the
cornflour, vinegar and coconut extract and fold in lightly.
Mound onto the baking sheet within the circle, flatten the
top and smooth the sides. Put in the oven and immediately
reduce the heat for 150degrees and cook for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2
hours. It will have risen and cracked on the top and little
around the sides. If it is not crispy on the outside give it a
little longer. Then turn off the oven, open the door and
leave to cool completely.

Quotekiwitrish (214 )4:14 pm,

I make the best large pav also. 8 egg whites with all the other ingredients added at once. Beat the hell out for 20mins. Pile high on an old microwave glass dish and bake at 200C for 5 mins then turn oven off and leave overnight.
Can decorate and serve from the microwave dish. Usually able to buy for $1-2 at opp shop.

Don't use the freshest eggs, make sure they are at room temp not cold. Everything free of grease.
Jo Seagar has a fantastic recipe that makes a huge Pav, works every time for me.

I use 6 egg whites, beat until stiff
3 T cold water, add one at a time, beating constantly
Gradually add 1 1/2 c sugar, beating constantly ( i use castor sugar)
turn down beater, add 1 t vinegar and 1 t vanilla and 3 t cornflour

Pile onto greased proof paper which has been wet down

Oven at 130 C, cook for 1 hour, then turn oven off.

here is trick, if you want hard crunchy outside, and soft middle, leave in oven over night to cool.

If i you want crunchy outside and chewy middle, after 1 hour, turn oven off, leave in for about 30 min to 1 hr, then remove to cool

Quoteblackcats13 (67 )9:07 pm,

And a pav roll is easy and goes down well.Better than a pav if serving after a finger food meal ie it cuts better into slices

I wish to make sweet pastry cases to fill.Do i need to bake blind and if so what is the best way to do this

OK so we are novices but willing :-) Daughter tried to make a pav today. Looks like it rose to a decent height - 5-6 cm, but when she touched it it fell in. Crust looked nice but very thin & inside is hollow and actual base is only 1-2cm deep and a bit soggy. Hayalp! hayalp!

Needs to be said - DD likes poached eggs but doesn't eat the white, so am training her to save the white rather than cooking it & throwing it away. Pav & meringue seemed like a good bet. Any other ideas welcome

No grease. Not anywhere, bowl, beaters, everything spotless. Egg whites beaten till glossy, no yolk anywhere. The fats can coat the air bubbles in the egg and cause it to collapse, add sugar very slowly and gently and use an older recipe rather than a modern one. Some call for a bit of vinegar, maybe that might help! Need a bit more info to really 'hyalp' - but good luck with the next one, lol!

Did you leave it in the oven to totally cool down!
posting underneath a recipe for you that my mum and I have used for years in catering. Can be doubled if desired, but I prefer to make 2 smaller rather than 1 huge pav.
This recipe still makes a decent size pav.
Trick is to beat the hell out of a pav, adding the caster sugar very gradually. The cooling slowly in the oven makes the outside crisper as well.
I prefer to pile it high, rather than spreading out.

Pavlova # 2
3 egg whites
3 TBSPS cold water
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tsps cornflour

Beat egg whites until stiff.
Add water and beat again.
Add sugar very gradually whilst still beating.
Slow beater and add vinegar, vanilla, and corn flour.

Line an oven tray with baking paper.
Spread the pavlova mixture evenly in a 20cm circle evenly over the paper.
Bake at 110 deg C for 45 mins. Then leave to completelycool in the oven.
This pavlova has a softer centre.

pavlova.large
you put everything in the bowl, beat for 15 minutes.
easiest pav. you will ever make.
Beat until thick and smooth .approx 15 mins
6 egg whites,
3 Cups Icing Sugar,
2 teaspoons Cornflour,
2 teaspoons White Vinegar,
add 2 Tablespoons Boiling water.,
Pile onto a baking Paper lined oven tray
Cook for 3 minutes at 200 degrees C, then turn down and cook a further
1 1/2 hours at 100 degrees C.
(Leave in oven to cool)

Hey thanks folks :-) I wasn't at home for the disaster - just fronted it when I got in from work. She knows that you need glossy whites. We successfully did smaller meringues last week. Not sure if she skipped anything - you know youngsters - always sure there is a faster method. Will update

Sounds easy, off to try it now. Thanks for this

I'm not convinced that a spot or two of yolk will ruin a pav. I've sometimes not been able to stop bits of yolk slipping in when they break during the separation process and I haven't had any problems. My guess is that DD didn't beat the whites long enough. There is a point where, if you pull the beater away you will see a series of small little points standing daintily up. If you guessed this was enough beating you'd have guessed wrong. You need to keep beating till when you take the beater away a bigger lump is left, not dainty little ones.

It is hard to explain other than to say, "a pox on recipe writers who write","don't beat till it is dry". You actually do need to beat the white till it IS dry.

That is the best I can offer.

My Mum made fantastic pavs and used to say her best tip was not to use the freshest eggs

Ps. glass or stainless steel bowl to mix in. egg white should be beaten enough so that you can tip the bowl over your head, and not a drop will fall on you. Mix should not feel gritty. and yep gerry64, not eggs straight from the hen. Also humidity will have an effect.
oops edited for spelling!

This is what we learnt at cooking school:
* Use a glass bowl (or copper if you're rich or something) for the best results, but I have made great meringue in a mason cash bowl and in a stainless steel bowl too
* Add a small amount of acid such as lemon juice, or cream of tartar, because it strengthens the protein strands or something scientific
*Take the whites really far on their own before slowly adding caster sugar

Furthermore, my pavlovas usually collapse a bit, but you just fill the dip with cream and fruit. I thought that was just what happened with pavlovas!

And I agree with buzzy - a few specks of egg yolks won't stop the whites being beaten until they are stiff enough.Switching off the beater too soon stops that.The trick is to beat until you think they are stiff enough, then beat some more, then gradually add the caster sugar a little at a time, beating well between each addition, then fold in the other ingredients carefully so you don't undo all the hard work you've done beating the egg whites.

i beat 3 eggs with sugar for 10mins. 180 for 15mins to make it brown and crust, then 150 for 45 mins. with cornflour and vinegar

Pickles7, you're usually so reliable but your pav recipe is so different from usual in that all the others say add the sugar very gradually.I'm keen to try it for Christmas Day though if you're sure it's pretty full proof!

Mine is similar except uses white sugar rather than icing sugar and everything goes in together and beaten for 20 mins.Perfect everytime.I know make my pavs rectangular to fit on a nice plate I have - it is so much easier for cutting too.I wouldn't try doing it this way with meringues but altogether for pavs is absolutely fine.

Thanks for that gardie, will definitely give it a go for xmas then and slather passionfruit over the top:)