But thankfully as far as I know, no country has gone to war over a dessert.
Pavlova: the 'national dessert' of both Australia and New Zealand which consists of chewy meringue on the outside and a marshmallow-like centre. Both countries claim to have invented the pavlova - or 'pav' - in honour of the Russian dancer Anna Matveyevna Pavlova. Naturally as an Australian I lean heavily for the Australians having invented it but there are many New Zealanders who equally believe that their country deserves the title of inventor.
Having lived in both countries the only difference I've noted (and this is definitely a generalisation) is that Aussies prefer to decorate their pavs with fruit such as strawberries, banana or kiwifruit, while Kiwis often opt for chocolate chips or tiny marshmallows. The fruit is definitely better (in my humble opinion of course).
The debate continues in the kitchens of both countries but in the dining rooms all agree - or almost all - that nothing beats a pav.
I hadn't planned on making this for my son's birthday until I learnt that his girlfriend had never had a homemade pav before. That had to be rectified immediately!
So here's my recipe. It's easy, can be made ahead of time, and this recipe will feed twenty-five as a main dessert or up to fifty when served alongside other desserts. I'll also give quantities to feed less - just in case you want to try it on a small scale before serving it up at your next party!
Ingredients:
12 egg whites (It is crucial that there is no egg yolk whatsoever in the whites. If there is, discard that white and start again. It also helps if the eggs are at room temperature although this isn't essential.)
3-1/2 cups castor sugar (You can use white sugar but it will take longer to dissolve.)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Place egg whites in large bowl of electric mixer and beat on highest speed until soft peaks form.
Add 1 cup of the sugar and beat until dissolved. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating well after each addition, until almost all the sugar is dissolved and egg whites are glossy. Add vanilla and vinegar and beat until just combined.
Pour mixture into 37 cm x 27 cm (15" x 11") baking dish that has been lined with greased greaseproof paper and lightly dusted with cornflour. Spread meringue out evenly.
Place in moderate (pre-heated) over for one minute, then immediately reduce the heat to slow and bake for 1-1/4 hours or until meringue has formed a hard crust.
Remove from oven and slide a knife around the edges to loosen from tin. Place a large tray (preferably the one that you will be serving the pavlova on to avoid moving it and breaking it) on top of the pavlova and gently turn tin, tray and pav upside down. Leave the tin that the pavlova was cooked in on top of the pavlova for a few minutes until it will easily lift off. Don't force it!
I prefer to leave the pavlova in the oven with the door slightly ajar to cool but that's up to you. I think it makes for a better pav that is crisp on the outside and still all marshmallow-y on the inside. As the pavlova cools the top will fall slightly, leaving room for the topping. It might not look too pretty at this stage, but we'll fix that later. Don't worry if some of the side crumbles. You can leave it, sandwich it back on with cream, or gently remove it and crumble it to go on top of the pav (which I did - much to DH's disgust).
If pav is not to be used immediately once cooled, store covered in a cool place. Not the refrigerator. Heat and humidity will cause it to 'weep'. While a little bit of weeping won't harm the pav, you don't want too much going on.
Just before serving decorate with whipped cream and fresh fruit (unless for some reason you prefer the Kiwi version of choc chips - *shudder*). Serve as is or with additional fruit and cream.
Quantities to serve 6-12 (six as a main dessert, twelve with fruit salad on the side): 4 egg whites, 1 cup castor sugar, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
And what to do with all those egg yolks? Make custard or Creme Brulee - you could even serve it with the pav. Add a few whole eggs and make an omelet or scrambled eggs or French Toast. Put them in your hair or feed them to the dog (perhaps not all twelve!). Just don't put them in your pav - or you won't have a pav.
Pavlova: the 'national dessert' of both Australia and New Zealand which consists of chewy meringue on the outside and a marshmallow-like centre. Both countries claim to have invented the pavlova - or 'pav' - in honour of the Russian dancer Anna Matveyevna Pavlova. Naturally as an Australian I lean heavily for the Australians having invented it but there are many New Zealanders who equally believe that their country deserves the title of inventor.
Having lived in both countries the only difference I've noted (and this is definitely a generalisation) is that Aussies prefer to decorate their pavs with fruit such as strawberries, banana or kiwifruit, while Kiwis often opt for chocolate chips or tiny marshmallows. The fruit is definitely better (in my humble opinion of course).
The debate continues in the kitchens of both countries but in the dining rooms all agree - or almost all - that nothing beats a pav.
I hadn't planned on making this for my son's birthday until I learnt that his girlfriend had never had a homemade pav before. That had to be rectified immediately!
So here's my recipe. It's easy, can be made ahead of time, and this recipe will feed twenty-five as a main dessert or up to fifty when served alongside other desserts. I'll also give quantities to feed less - just in case you want to try it on a small scale before serving it up at your next party!
Ingredients:
12 egg whites (It is crucial that there is no egg yolk whatsoever in the whites. If there is, discard that white and start again. It also helps if the eggs are at room temperature although this isn't essential.)
3-1/2 cups castor sugar (You can use white sugar but it will take longer to dissolve.)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Place egg whites in large bowl of electric mixer and beat on highest speed until soft peaks form.
Add 1 cup of the sugar and beat until dissolved. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating well after each addition, until almost all the sugar is dissolved and egg whites are glossy. Add vanilla and vinegar and beat until just combined.
Pour mixture into 37 cm x 27 cm (15" x 11") baking dish that has been lined with greased greaseproof paper and lightly dusted with cornflour. Spread meringue out evenly.
Place in moderate (pre-heated) over for one minute, then immediately reduce the heat to slow and bake for 1-1/4 hours or until meringue has formed a hard crust.
Remove from oven and slide a knife around the edges to loosen from tin. Place a large tray (preferably the one that you will be serving the pavlova on to avoid moving it and breaking it) on top of the pavlova and gently turn tin, tray and pav upside down. Leave the tin that the pavlova was cooked in on top of the pavlova for a few minutes until it will easily lift off. Don't force it!
I prefer to leave the pavlova in the oven with the door slightly ajar to cool but that's up to you. I think it makes for a better pav that is crisp on the outside and still all marshmallow-y on the inside. As the pavlova cools the top will fall slightly, leaving room for the topping. It might not look too pretty at this stage, but we'll fix that later. Don't worry if some of the side crumbles. You can leave it, sandwich it back on with cream, or gently remove it and crumble it to go on top of the pav (which I did - much to DH's disgust).
If pav is not to be used immediately once cooled, store covered in a cool place. Not the refrigerator. Heat and humidity will cause it to 'weep'. While a little bit of weeping won't harm the pav, you don't want too much going on.
Just before serving decorate with whipped cream and fresh fruit (unless for some reason you prefer the Kiwi version of choc chips - *shudder*). Serve as is or with additional fruit and cream.
Quantities to serve 6-12 (six as a main dessert, twelve with fruit salad on the side): 4 egg whites, 1 cup castor sugar, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
And what to do with all those egg yolks? Make custard or Creme Brulee - you could even serve it with the pav. Add a few whole eggs and make an omelet or scrambled eggs or French Toast. Put them in your hair or feed them to the dog (perhaps not all twelve!). Just don't put them in your pav - or you won't have a pav.
Comments
Have a wonderful week!