I think pavlova is one of those glorious desserts which gives a lot for such little effort. My girls like pink everything at the moment, so I made this pink version using powdered food colour. You also don’t have to top with compote as I have done – just plonk the cream and blackberries on top with maybe a little warmed blackberry jam drizzled on top to take the edge of any tartness.
You’ll need
For the pavlova
- 6 egg whites
- 300g caster sugar
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- Pink food colour powder
For the compote
- 2 punnets of blackberries
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the topping
- 100ml whipping or double cream
- fresh blackberries
To make it
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
- Add the caster sugar in a spoonful at a time until you get stiff and glossy peaks.
- Fold in the balsamic vinegar and then the pink colouring to your chosen shade.
- Dollop the mixture onto the prepared baking tray into your chosen shape. I usually go with a 25cm circle.
- Put the baking tray into the oven, close the door and then the temperature down to 150C.
- Bake this meringue base for about 1 hour until it’s slightly cracked at the sides and a little squidgy in the middle.
- Turn the oven off and leave the baking tray in the oven with the door slightly open until it’s completely cool.
- Meanwhile, make the compote by putting all the ingredients into a small saucepan over a gentle heat until it’s thick and bubbly.
- Whip the cream until it’s light and fluffy.
- Once the meringue base and compote are fully cooled, spread the cream over the base, then the compote and then the blackberries. You could add a sprinking of chopped hazlenuts too for a little more crunch. Yummmm.
This also works well with a cinnamon and chocolate base. Fold in 3 tbsp of sieved cocoa powder and 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to the glossy peaks at the same time as the balsamic vinegar.