For your next birthday party, make a “pavlova” – a delicious meringue shell filled with whipped cream and topped with fresh fruit. With it’s sweet, fluffy interior and crunchy crust, meringue is a favorite for kids of all ages. The desert, which is claimed by both New Zealand and Australia, was created for the great imperial Russian ballerina, Anna Palova, during her tour in the 1920’s.
From Helen Allan Christchurch, New Zealand
INGREDIENTS:
4 egg whites
1 cup fine granulated sugar (castor sugar)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (if desired)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberries and kiwi fruit
Preheat oven 250 degrees. Beat eggs whites on high speed until they look like ribbons when dropped from the beater. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. Beat meringue mixture until it forms stiffs peaks but isn’t dry.
Fold vinegar, cornstarch, and vanilla into mixture. Using parchment paper on a cookie sheet, spoon the meringue mixture into a circle on the sheet about six to eight inches in diameter ( a rubber spatula really helps with this step.)
Bake 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven off and open the door, leaving the meringue to cool. The meringue shell will fall as it cools but that is okay.- that’s when whipped cream is for.
When the meringue shell is cool, whip the cream in the mixing bowl until it thickens. If desired, add sugar and vanilla to the cream. Don’t overbeat the cream or it will clump. Cover meringue with whipped cream and sliced fruit. You might want to make two-this is a very popular dessert! One pavlova serves six to eight people. And just in case you’d like the kids to eat dinner before dessert, try this traditional New Zealand family dinner one weekend.
This is one of my favorite deserts and every holiday I have one or two! Enjoy.
Melinda
lookingforthelight.blog 
Looks good 🙂
Thanks! 🙂