The Perfect Festive Palova

Another incredible creation from Verity Walcott For The Flavour at our Winter photoshoot, is this stunning festive Pavlova. Light and refreshing and drizzled with candy-coloured fruits and nuts, the Pavlova is a pleasing palate-cleanser and pudding in one after the Christmas main course. The beauty of this recipe is it can be made the evening before and left in the cooling oven until almost serving time, at which point you can dress it with whipped cream, pomegranate seeds and pistachio nibs and sprigs of mint. Slice and place on our porcelain dessert plates for a simple yet striking festive dessert.

If some of your guests prefer a sweet treat rather than the evening cheeseboard, you could make simple chocolate dipped figs to serve alongside the camembert and stilton. Simple melt dark chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of hot water and dip each fig halfway into the chocolate. Lay on a sheet of baking paper to cool and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 135°C. Trace a plate on parchment paper, set it upside down and to the side for later. 

Grind your caster sugar in a blender to light powder form. 

Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt together in a stand mixer with whisk attachment, until medium-stiff peaks.

Drizzle in the sugar, 1 table spoon at a time then turn up the speed and whip until stiff peaks.

Fold in the vanilla, vinegar and corn-starch.

Mound the meringue evenly onto the traced circle on the parchment. Use a spatula to creates waves in the meringue. Dust the pavlova with cinnamon. Bake at 135°C for the first 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 100°C and continue to bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven (don’t open the door), turn on the light in the oven and let the meringue sit in the cooling oven for a couple hours, or even overnight.

Dress the pavlova with whipped cream, Pomegranate seeds and pistachio nibs. Finish with a dust of cinnamon. 

Ingredients 

• 150g egg whites, at room temperature approximately 5 egg whites
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar. 
• 250g superfine sugar 
• 1 tsp vinegar white wine, cider or distilled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• Tbsp plus 1 tsp corn starch
• Ground Cinnamon 

For Pavlova Topping 

• Cream for whipping 
• Pistachios 
• Pomegranate seeds