Pavlova from Heaven

I'm usually game at trying most things in the kitchen - cooking, baking, eating, chatting. The one thing that I have shyed away from all these years is the Pavlova. That beautiful crunchy on the oustside, mallowy in the inside dessert that was surely sent from heaven above. It looks so divine - my friends in secondary school used to call it divinity. I can now see why.

The frightening bit was the whipping of the egg whites. Egg whites are tricky. Gotta have spanking clean utensils, use a only a certain type of bowl and have oodles of patience!

Well as I have been feeling rather inspired of late with the baking, thanks to a wonderful baking book that I recently acquired in Notting Hill, I thought what better time to give it a go. It was Avi's 17th birthday last week and I thought I would dispense with the bog standard chocolate cake and make the most luscious recipe I've seen in years - Chocolate Pavlova topped with fresh cream, strawberies and raspberries. It's summer (altho someone forgot to mention this to the British mother nature) so these soft fruits are plentiful.


It wasn't a difficult recipe either so I will try it again maybe leaving out the chocolate and adding another flavour. But for now here is the recipe of the week that you just have to make!


Chocolate Pavlova with fresh whipped cream, strawberries and raspberries

This serves anywhere from 6 - 10, depending on how greedy you all are.

Ingredients:
6 room temperature egg whites
300g caster sugar
3 tablespoons of cocoa, sieved
1 teaspoon vinegar
50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
500ml double cream
250g frozen raspberries
250g fresh strawberries
2-3 tablespoons coarsely grated chocolate
handful chocolate chips (optional)


1.Preheat your oven to 180˚C, and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. You want to be able to pull the whisk out and see soft peaks still standing
3. Gradually add the sugar, handful at a time, until the egg whites become stiff and shiny. They will change quite dramatically in consistency and get very thick, but don’t panic, that’s meant to happen
4. Sprinkle over the cocoa and the vinegar, and gently fold in, until well mixed.
5. Mound the mixture onto the baking sheet in a fat circle, smoothing the sides and top. The mixture should hold it’s shape. If not, you’ve over beaten and you’ll need to add another egg white.
6. Place in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 150˚C and bake for 1 to 1 and a quarter hours. Leave to cool in the oven with the door open.

When you’re ready to serve, turn it over upside down onto a large plate. Whip the cream until stiff but not stodgy. Cover with lashings of whipped cream and artfully arrange the berries on top. Grate some chocolate over and serve! I threw a handful of chocolate chips over it as well,

Pure heaven! Who cares about the calories!