Pavlova With Sweetened Whipped Cream & Plum Sauce

After watching Junior Master Chef Australia a couple of weeks ago when all contestants had to prepare pavlova, Abby has been constantly asking me to make one, too
I never did, so I told her that I would give a try and hoped I could give her a nice perfect pavlova :)

Pavlova is a kind of sweet dessert shaped like a nest - airy nest, thin, crisp, crusty exterior meringue shell and soft, creamy, marshmallow-like center.
It named for the famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova

After searching around for the recipe, I finally decided to try out the one from the book which never dissapoints me, The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge
Never regretted my choice! Not only Abby, but the whole family enjoyed it :)

For the fruits topping, I choose green kiwi and canned peach, no only cos it's some of Abby's favorites, but I just loved the color combination :)
Plus the red plum sauce, it reminded me of traffic light! LOL

The sweetened whipped cream was so smooth it melt together with the pavlova in every bite, so sweet and eaten together with the tangy fruits, the combination was so heavenly!

What you need:

6 (177g)  large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
200g caster sugar (I reduced a little)
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
567g mixed fruits of your choice

1. Position the oven racks on top and bottom. Heat oven to 180degC. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment
2. In a large bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on medium low speed til frothy
3. Increase the speed to medium high and beat til forming soft peaks. Continue beating while gradually sprinkling the sugar
4. When all the sugar added, increase the speed to high and whip til firm, glossy peak form
5. Continue beating and sprinkle in the cornstarch and salt
6. Add vinegar and vanilla and beat just til blended
7. Using a spatula, give the meringue a few gentle folds
8. Scoop up 1/2 cup of the whites and place it on the prepared baking sheet, piling it high. Using the back of a large tablespoon, shape a nest by sculpting out the center of the mound, leaving the sides high and the center low. It will be around 10cm diameter and 4cm high. Make more nests and arrange them about 5cm apart. You should get 10 nests
9. Reduce oven temperature to 95degC. Bake until the meringues are tacky but gooey when pressed with a finger, about 1 hour and 30 minutes
10. They will remain white but don't worry if a few of the tips become light brown
11. Turn off the oven and let them cool in the oven for 1 hour
12. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven, gently lift the meringues off the paper and set them on a rack to cool completely
13. Just before serving, arrange the nests on individual plates and pile the centers with any topping of your choice and sprinkle with cut fruits

Besides cut kiwis and peaches, I used sweetened whipped cream and plum sauce

This is the recipe for sweetened whipped cream:
(also from the same book)

What you need:

1 cup of whipping cream (original recipe used heavy cream)
2 tbsps sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1. Chill the bowl and beaters in the freezer
2. using the bowl, beat cream, sugar, vanilla and salt on medium high speedtil medium firm peak form
3. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for 2 hours

For the plum sauce, I mixed my homemade plum jam with some water, let it simmer over low heat til mixed well. Let cool


I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #23: Desserts On A Plate (September 2012)