Description
This Christmas Pavlova Wreath is a beautiful and festive dessert featuring a crisp and glossy meringue base topped with whipped cream, fresh fruit, and mint leaves. It’s a perfect centerpiece for holiday celebrations, combining crunchy textures with creamy and fruity flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meringue
- 6 large egg whites
- 350g caster sugar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp cornflour
Topping
- 600ml (20fl oz) double cream
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla bean paste
- 700g (1½lb) fruit of your choice
- Mint leaves, to decorate
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 160˚C (fan 140˚C, 320˚F, gas mark 3).
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and draw a 30cm circle on the paper. Then draw a 15cm circle in the center of the 30cm circle to guide the meringue shape.
- Whisk Egg Whites: Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks form, indicating the whites are aerated but still soft.
- Add Sugar and Stabilizers: Gradually add caster sugar a little at a time while whisking at maximum speed until the mixture becomes stiff, glossy, and well combined.
- Add Cornflour and Vinegar: In a separate cup, mix the cornflour and white wine vinegar into a slurry. Gently fold this into the meringue mixture to help stabilize it.
- Shape the Meringue: Spoon the meringue onto the ring drawn on the baking parchment, carefully flattening it to create a flat surface for the cream and fruit toppings, keeping in mind the meringue will expand slightly while baking.
- Bake the Meringue: Place the meringue in the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature to 140˚C (fan 120˚C, 280˚F, gas mark 1), then bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until dry. For best results, allow the meringue to cool and dry out for at least one hour before assembling; it can also be left overnight.
- Whip the Cream: Whip the double cream with vanilla bean paste until barely stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
- Assemble the Pavlova Wreath: Spoon the whipped cream generously onto the cooled meringue base. Arrange your chosen fresh fruit attractively on top.
- Garnish and Serve: Decorate with fresh mint leaves and lightly dust with icing sugar for a festive finish.
Notes
- This Christmas Pavlova makes a stunning centerpiece and can be customized with your favorite fruits for decoration.
- Ensure the meringue dries properly post-baking to maintain its crisp texture.
- The white wine vinegar and cornflour help stabilize the meringue and improve texture.
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best flavor and appearance.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: A thick slice
- Calories: 201
- Sugar: 31.7 g
- Sodium: 26.7 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.6 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 2.2 g
- Cholesterol: 21.5 mg
