By, Victoria Prever
1 min read
ByVictoria Prever, Victoria Prever
My mum Timmy makes, without doubt, the best pavlova ever, says Peter Gordon. I should know as I eat at least one of them whenever I get back to New Zealand.
Make sure you don't put the cream and strawberries on any longer than three hours before you're going to eat it as it will go soggy.
Mum's pav
ingredients
3 large (jumbo) egg whites
220g caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 dessertspoon malt vinegar (although mum says any vinegar should be ok)
METHOD
● Heat your oven to 180°C
● Mum likes to use a hand-held electric mixer for this. Beat the whites till stiff then slowly add the sugar, initially a tablespoon at a time. Once half has been added you can add it a bit faster. Turn your beaters off.
● Sprinkle the cornflour and vinegar over the top of your meringue and then slowly mix it in - don't beat.
● Line a baking tray with baking parchment and then spatula your mixture onto it. Make any shape you want. Place the tray in the oven and immediately drop the temperature to 130°C. Bake for one hour then turn the oven off and leave the pavlova to cool in the oven.
Vanilla honey yoghurt cream
ingredients
500ml cream (must be straight from the fridge)
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp honey
300ml chilled thick Greek-style yoghurt
method
● Lightly whisk the cream and vanilla to soft peaks in a chilled bowl. Whisk the honey into the yoghurt and add this to the cream. Continue to beat until firm peaks and it's ready to go.
Strawberry compote
This could not be simpler - it does not even need cooking.
ingredients
2 punnets strawberries
5 tbsp icing sugar
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
method
● Hull the strawberries, then slice about ½ cm thick.
● Toss with the icing sugar and zest and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The juice that runs off is lovely, but keep it separate and drizzle over the pavlova as you serve it - if it's left on too long it can make the pavlova go a little soggy.