This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
CHRISTMAS DESSERT – PAVLOVA WREATH
Ingredients: serves 6-8
180g egg whites (6 large eggs)
400g caster sugar
3 tsp cornflour, sifted
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
To decorate:
500ml double cream
200g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
500g mixed berries (strawberries, red and black currants, blackberries etc, defrosted if frozen)
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
pavlova_decorations_if_needed
For the berry coulis:
100g raspberries, strawberries or mixed berries
50g sugar
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp water
TIP – You can easily use shop-bought coulis or melted chocolate if you prefer.
How to Prepare
Preheat the oven to 120℃ (100℃ fan). Use a 23cm cake tin to draw a circle on a large piece of baking paper. Turn the paper over and place on a large, heavy baking tray.
Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer (making sure it’s spotlessly clean or the meringue may flop). Lightly whisk together with a hand whisk until frothy.
Start whisking at high speed. Once the meringue forms soft peaks, start adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
Once all the sugar has been added, stop the mixer and sift the cornflour over the meringue. Add the vanilla and continue whisking at high speed until the meringue is glossy, forms stiff peaks and doesn’t feel gritty if you rub it between your fingers.
Spoon large dollops of the meringue onto the prepared tray, following the traced circle so that you form a wreath.
Bake your meringue wreath for 1½ hours. Don’t open the oven during that time!
Turn the oven off, open the door slightly and leave the meringue in the oven until completely cool.
Whisk the cream, vanilla and icing sugar until you have soft peaks.
To make the coulis, put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, muddle the berries with a potato masher or end of a rolling pin and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a sieve, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Cool before using.
Spread or pipe the cream over the wreath and then top with your berries and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with your coulis and serve.