“My pavlovas never seem to turn out as they should. Every time they are riddled with cracks and there is often a sticky syrup around the tray. What am I doing wrong?”
There is a science to meringue, but I have a few tips which should help. Use room temperature egg whites for maximum pouf, and choose a recipe which includes either vinegar or cream of tartar – both are acids which will stabilise the proteins in the foam. Use caster sugar as it dissolves easily, and allow 55g of sugar per egg white.
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Try this pavlova recipe with cherries, kiwifruit and raspberries.
Over-beating the egg whites may result in a pav that collapses, while under-mixing may leave undissolved sugar in the mix which can weep or bead during cooking. You could try gently warming the sugar in a roasting tray in the oven, which helps it dissolve. Always ensure you cook the meringue slowly; I tend to do them late at night and leave them in the cooling oven overnight so they’re good and dry.
TIP
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Meringues can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze for use at a later stage.
Photography by : Amanda Lennon/bauersyndication.com.au
This first appeared in Food magazine.
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