Baking Recipes,  Collaborations,  Spoon desserts & puddings

Pavlova topped with cream and fruits make for a beautiful Christmas dessert [VIDEO]

Crisp on the outside, marshmallow-like on the inside, these pavlova are the perfect nest for any topping you can imagine. Decorate them to make them look festive and they’ll be perfect for Christmas too!

For my final collab with Breville Philippines, I decided to make something that would showcase another facet of the Breville Scraper Mixer Pro. You might remember from my review last week that this high-powered mixer has a good number of tools included in the box, but so far I have two favourites.

Previously, I posted a recipe for Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies to test out the Scraper Paddle, which is one of the highlighted tools that come with this mixer. Today though, I wanted to use the Whisk Attachment to make a dessert that is incredibly simple but can be assembled into something absolutely gorgeous and delicious: the Pavlova.

This dessert requires you to whip egg whites, which I know scare some people. Whipping egg whites to stiff peaks actually isn’t that complicated, especially when you’ve got a machine like the Breville Scraper Mixer Pro to help you out. I’ve also got some tips down below, as well as video tutorial for you guys to show just how simple this Pavlova recipe is.

See how easy that was? You’d think it required a lot of effort because of how classy and impressive the pavlova looks once assembled. The mixer and the oven really do all the work for you. The only caveat is that this recipe does take a bit of waiting time.

Well, you know they say ‘patience is a virtue’ right? Even during Christmastime! 😀

The thing I love about Pavlova is that it’s basically this nest for whatever you want to put in the middle. I always like to pair pavlova with pastry cream and fruits, especially Philippine mangoes. My favourite!

You can actually just use regular whipped cream for this, but the reason I always pair this with pastry cream is because when you make pavlova, you use just the egg whites. With the leftover egg yolks, I make some pastry cream. In case you also want to make pastry cream, basically a custardy thick vanilla cream, here’s a link to David Lebovitz’s recipe. Easy and delicious!

Back to the Pavlova, it’s actually a dessert that displays the “crisp on the outside, marshmallow on the inside” quality of meringues to great effect.

Can you see that marshmallow-like interior of the pavlova? That is what awaits you with every bite of this dessert! The sweet, crispy shell with a marshmallow heart complements well with the light vanilla pastry cream (or whipped cream!) and the sweet fruits. I don’t recommend using ice cream to top this, but some tangy sorbet would be good if you don’t like cream for some reason.

 

Recipe notes

I’ll walk you down the process just a little since the full instructions are already in the recipe box below. Using the whisk attachment of our Breville Scraper Mixer Pro, we just whisk the egg whites at a high speed until they turn stiff and glossy and basically like marshmallow fluff.

I really like that the whisk attachment of the Breville Scraper Mixer Pro can reach the bottom of the mixer bowl in order to evenly whip your egg whites! And although the mixer shakes when I crank it up, I really like that my egg whites were ready in no time. Probably the quickest by far!

Mastering how to whip egg whites to stiff peaks can open your doors to many recipes, including French macarons, angel food cake, and of course this pavlova recipe too. Here are just some basic tips to help:

  • Make sure that when you separate your eggs, there is absolutely no egg yolks mixed into the egg whites.
  • You also want your egg whites to be at room temperature because they will whip up to stiff peaks quicker.
  • Make sure that your bowl and whisk attachment are spotless—clean and completely dry!
  • This is optional, but you can use cream of tartar to help stabilize your egg whites as they whip. (I normally skip this step.)
  • Pick a parchment paper or liner that you know is really non-stick. For my Philippine readers, I recommend GLAD Cook n’ Bake Baking Paper. It might be a bit expensive than the normal parchment paper but I never have any sticking problems with this.
  • It’s important to allow the meringue to bake for the prescribed time, plus the cooling time inside and outside the oven. I know it takes long but you want this to develop a crisp shell. If the meringue browns too much in your oven, just prop the door open a little to allow a bit f the heat to escape.

 

It’s important to remember to assemble the pavlova just before serving. The cream seeps into the pavlova and takes away the crisp shell if you assemble it too early. You can make the meringues a week early but remember to keep them inside an airtight container by themselves at room temperature so that they maintain their crisp exterior. Otherwise they become sticky and soggy.

And just like that, you’re all set to impress this holiday season. And take note, with the addition of actual fresh fruits in this dessert, the health factor also goes up! Yeah, let’s just say that haha!

Pavlova with Pastry Cream and Fruit

Crisp on the outside, marshmallow-like on the inside, these pavlova are the perfect nest for any topping you can imagine. Decorate them to make them look festive and they'll be perfect for Christmas too!
Servings 5

Ingredients

  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • Pinch of cream of tartar, optional
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • Cream or sorbet, and fruits of choice, for topping

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 200°F (100°C). Line a long baking sheet with good non-stick parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
  • 2. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on low speed just until frothy. Sprinkle the pinch of cream of tartar, if using, then increase the speed to high. Keep whisking until the egg whites begin to hold their shape and form soft, drooping peaks when the whisk attachment is lifted from the mixture.
  • 3. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar, followed by the vanilla, vinegar, and cornstarch. Keep whisking until the meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks when you lift up the whisk. (To test the stiffness of the mixture further, you can flip the bowl over and it won’t budge at all.)
  • 4. Now divide the meringue onto your baking sheet into 5 equal mounds spaced equally apart on your baking sheet. (Or 6 if you like, but I thought 5 produced a good size for placing the toppings. The meringues would be big enough for sharing.)
  • 5. Dip a spoon in water and use the back of it to even out the mounds into a disk about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. (Don't make it flat! Just even out the surface.) Using the spoon, make a depression at the centre of each meringue deep enough to hold your toppings, but make sure not to go all the way to the bottom.
  • 6. Bake the meringues for 1-½ hours, but check if your meringues are browning too much at any point. Oven temperatures can vary so if this happens, prop your oven door open just a little while baking to cool the temperature down a little bit. After 1-½ hours, turn off the oven but leave the meringue inside to dry for at least 1 hour more. Then remove from oven and cool completely.
  • 7. Once ready to serve, transfer meringue to a plate or serving platter. Scoop some cream or sorbet into the centre, then decorate with sliced fruits.

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Full disclosure: This post was sponsored by Breville Philippines but all opinions stated are my own. Like and follow Breville Philippines on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about them!

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