Pavlova Help!

Making a pav, mixture isn't forming nice peaks and is too runny to put on baking tray! Help! What does it need! Using the recipe from Edmonds book this time!
Thanks for your ideas .

please help - bump!

Did you by any remote chance have even as much as a pin head of egg yolk in the mix! If so they will never beat up .

Nope. Broke them all separately and double checked, cos have heard that! Do you think if I keep beating it will come right!!

Mix pavs only in a glass or stainless steel bowl, never in plastic. And you can pop the bowl inside another that has boiling water in it, sort of double boiler effect. Try that.

Using glass. Will try the boiling water thing.

Spotlessly clean bowl, no trace of fat or grease, stale eggs work better than fresh and at room temperature.
If you want to use a plastic bowl and want to make sure it is totally grease free pour in a tablespoon of salt and rub it around with your hand and then wipe out or rinse and dry.
(This trick was taught to us during Home Economics at high school many moons ago).

I have no probs using a plastic bowl. Sure is right that a trace of egg yolk will ruin it and also eggs need to be room temperature

Love to know the end result!

try this fantastic, worked out perfect

6 egg whites
1 3/4 cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon malt vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 tablespoon boiling water

Yield: 8
Method
Preheat oven to 100 C. Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 15 minutes until smooth, glossy and when you rub a little mixture between your thumb and index finger you cannot feel grains of sugar. Draw a 24 cm circle on a sheet of baking paper - easiest to draw round the edge of a cake pan. Place the baking paper on an oven tray and pile the mixture into the circle, smoothing edges. Bake for 1 1/2 hours and then turn off the oven and allow to sit in the oven with the door closed for at least another hour or until the oven is cold.

Beat the egg whites before adding sugar slowly http://aww.ninemsn.com/food/freshtv/787793/tips-for-the-perfect-pavlova

•Eggs at the wrong temperature Separate eggs while they are cold, but beat the egg whites when they are at room temperature. You just need to wait about 30 minutes

•Using the wrong kind of mixing bowl Metal or glass mixing bowls are best for yielding voluminous beaten egg whites. Plastic can retain fat and grease, which inhibits the volume of the egg whites. Whichever type of bowl you use, be sure it’s spotlessly clean

•Specks of yolk in the egg whites Any trace of yolk will ruin your meringue. Resist the temptation to dip a finger in to get it out. Some people use a piece of bread or a cotton-bud tip to remove the yolk. But honestly, it’s best to discard that egg. For this reason, separate eggs into a small bowl first, and add the egg whites individually to the bigger mixing bowl. That way, if a yolk slips through, you need only discard one egg white, not the whole batch

•Adding sugar too quickly Sugar needs to be added tablespoon by tablespoon at the soft-peak stage. This is laborious, but don’t be tempted to add the whole lot at once. However, adding sugar early in the beating process results in a firmer, finer-textured meringue - just not all at once!Undissolved sugar attracts moisture, which can ruin your meringue. Superfine sugar dissolves more quickly.

•Eggs not beaten to stiff peaks Soft peaks are fine for a pie topping, but for a dessert base such as a pavlova, you need stiff, glossy peaks

•Oven too hot You need a low temperature to ensure the gradual evaporation of moisture from the meringue. If the oven is too hot, the outside will be crunchy and browned and the center will be sticky and chewy

•Meringue removed too soon from the oven Allow the meringue to remain in the oven after baking. This helps dry it out

•Making meringues on a humid day Try and avoid this if possible. The sugar in the meringue attracts moisture and makes it chewy. It may take longer for the meringue to bake and dry out in the oven, too.

Thanks for all the tips. I just kept beating and, eventually, got the right consistency!
It actually turned out to be the best pavlova I've ever made! Topped with whipped cream, strawberries andblueberries - there wasn't a crumb left on the platter!
Yummmmm. might have to make another one today :)

I havent any cornflour would it work without it

Friend of mine had no corn flour, so used custard powder, she said it was delicious!