For me, a Pavlova has always looked deceptively easy and I really wanted to give it a go. So, after trawling through the copious Pinterest recipes online, I settled on a Chocolate Pavlova with Honey Roasted Pears.
I should mention that making a Pavlova is not as easy as it looks, and I am still yet to master the recipe. My meringue caved in in the middle upon opening the oven door and it was also extremely delicate. I have tweaked the recipe so that it should help with holding the meringue up.
Meringue
6 Large Egg Whites, at room temperature
450g Caster Sugar
1Tbsp Cornflour
1Tsp White Vinegar
1Tsp Cream of Tatar
1Tsp Vanilla Extract
50ml Cocoa Powder (I used Green & Blacks)
Pear Topping
4 Pears
100ml Honey
30-50ml Butter
Method:
1) Preheat your oven to 140C / 285F.
2) Peel, half and core your pears. Place them in a roasting tin and drizzle with honey. Place a small blob of butter onto each pear. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the pears over and roast for a further 30 minutes or until golden.
3) Take the pears out and leave to cool on the side. Preheat your oven to 200C / 395F (This shall be turned down to 100C / 215F once the pavlova is ready to go into the oven).
4) If the pears are not golden enough, sprinkle some Caster Sugar onto the cut side of the pears and place under a grill for a couple of minutes.
5) Trace a circle onto a piece of baking paper. This shall be used as a guide to shape your pavlova.
6) Make sure your bowl is completely clean and has no foreign matter within it. Place 6 egg whites into a large bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Half way through this process, add in the Cream of Tatar.
7) Once soft peaks have formed, add your Caster sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat in between each addition until the mixture is thick and glossy.When you get to the last tablespoon of sugar, add one fifth of the Cocoa Powder and three quarters of your Cornflour. Incorporate this into the meringue mixture and beat until glossy.
8) Use the remaining quarter of your Cornflour to dust the circle you have made on the baking paper.
9) Fold in the Vanilla Extract and White Vinegar into the meringue mixture.
10) Take 4 large spoonfuls of the pavlova mixture and place into a separate bowl. Gradually mix in the remaining Cocoa Powder with this to create a dark paste. Spoon the cocoa mixture onto the meringue mixture and fold through two or three times to create a marbled effect.
11) Place big spoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto your baking paper, starting around the outside edge and fill in the middle. Apply light pressure to the centre of your meringue mix to create a firm base, this avoids air pockets.
12) Using a spatula, pull the sides up and over towards the centre in order to create a smooth outside. Next, make a slight hollow in the middle - this is where your decoration will sit later.
13) Turn the oven down to 100C / 215F and place your pavlova on a shelf in the middle of the oven.
14) Leave your pavlova in the oven for at least 1 hour 30 minutes, or until it's dry and crisp on the outside. It is very important that you do not open your oven door at all during this process. After this, simply turn off your oven and leave the pavlova to cool inside. (I opened the oven slightly after I turned the oven off and it made the middle of my meringue sink).
15) Whisk the double cream and gently spoon on top of your pavlova. Top with the pears and sprinkle cocoa powder all over the pavlova. Upon serving drizzle a small amount of honey over the pavlova.
This Pavlova does not store well as it is fresh cream and the meringue goes soggy in the fridge. Eat on the same day as baking it.
Credit to: Food24