
Epic Festive Pavlova
Serves 8-12
A sophisticated twist on the standard fruit and cream topped pavlova, the sweet richness of the figs is offset by delicate frosted leaves of earthy sage. As a final, very luxurious, touch the entire thing is drizzled in a sweet rosé reduction. Enjoy
INGREDIENTS:
Pavlova
6 egg whites
1 ½ cups caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar, plus a splash extra
1 tablespoon cornflour
Whipped cream
Figs
Rosé Reduction
2 cups of rosé
¼ to ½ cup of sugar
METHOD:
Pre-heat your oven to 100⁰C fan-forced or 120⁰ conventional
Use the extra splash of white vinegar to wipe out the bowl of your stand mixer to remove all traces of oils.
Separate your eggs and add the whites to the mixer bowl. (I do this one egg white at a time as any trace of yolk will prevent your meringue from forming. By adding the egg white to the mixer each time, you only need to throw one away if some yolk gets in it)Beat on high speed until egg whites start to thicken and form soft peaks.
Add the caster sugar, 1 heaped spoonful at a time, beating for about 30 seconds in-between.
Test the mixture by rubbing a little bit between your fingers, if you can still feel the sugar granules you need to keep mixing.
Once the sugar has fully dissolved, beat on high for 7 minutes. (Set a timer. It will feel like forever, but trust me) Add the white vinegar and cornflour to the mixture and beat for 1 more minute. (These to additions help to keep the pavlova crisp on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside)
The meringue mixture should be thick and glossy.
Spoon your mixture onto the pavlova plate and swirl to the shape you desire.
Bake for 1 ½ hours and then crack the door of the oven open and allow the pavlova to fully cool. Keep chilled until ready to eat.
To make the rosé reduction, place 2 cups of rosé into a saucepan, along with ¼ to ½ cup of sugar to taste. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a hard simmer. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by at least half, depending on how sticky you want it to be.
Top your pavlova with softly whipped cream with a swirl of rosé reduction through it. Carefully pile some figs on top, making sure that you don’t break the meringue crust, and then add some sage leaves and a drizzle of the reduction to serve.