Description
This Christmas Pavlova Wreath is a beautiful and festive dessert featuring a crisp and chewy meringue base shaped into a wreath, topped with whipped cream and a colorful array of fresh fruits. It’s perfect as a stunning centerpiece to finish any holiday meal, offering a delightful combination of textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meringue
- 6 large egg whites
- 350g caster sugar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp cornflour
Topping
- 600ml (20fl oz) double cream
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla bean paste
- 700g (1½lb) fruit of your choice
- Mint leaves, to decorate
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 160˚C (fan 140˚C / 320˚F / gas mark 3). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and draw a 30cm circle on the paper, then draw a 15cm circle inside the larger one to define the wreath shape.
- Whisk Egg Whites: Place the egg whites in the K-Mojo DigiMaster’s bowl (or any stand mixer bowl) and whisk with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form, indicating the egg whites are aerated but still soft.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Slowly add the caster sugar a little at a time while whisking at maximum speed until the mixture becomes stiff, glossy, and holds stiff peaks.
- Add Cornflour and Vinegar Slurry: Prepare a slurry by mixing the cornflour with the white wine vinegar in a small cup. Gently fold this mixture into the meringue to stabilize it, ensuring even distribution without deflating the meringue.
- Shape Meringue on Baking Sheet: Spoon the meringue onto the ring drawn on the baking parchment, carefully flattening it to create a flat, even wreath base that can support cream and fruit later. Allow extra space since the meringue will expand during baking.
- Bake Meringue: Place the meringue in the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature to 140˚C (fan 120˚C / 280˚F / gas mark 1). Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. You can leave it to dry out overnight, but it must rest uncooked for at least one hour after the oven is turned off.
- Whip Cream: Whip the double cream and vanilla bean paste together until barely stiff peaks form, ensuring the cream is light and airy but will hold its shape.
- Assemble Pavlova Wreath: Spoon the whipped cream over the cooled meringue base. Arrange your choice of fresh fruits on top of the cream in a decorative wreath pattern.
- Final Decoration: Garnish the fruit with fresh mint leaves and dust with icing sugar for an elegant and festive finish.
Notes
- Christmas Pavlova makes a stunning centerpiece for your holiday meal and can be customized with your favorite fruits for a personal touch.
- The meringue base can be baked ahead of time and left to dry overnight to achieve the perfect crisp texture.
- Use a variety of colorful fruits such as berries, kiwi, pomegranate seeds, and citrus slices for a vibrant look.
- Ensure the egg whites are at room temperature for better volume when whisking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: A thick slice
- Calories: 201
- Sugar: 31.7g
- Sodium: 26.7mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 33.6g
- Fiber: 0.9g
- Protein: 2.2g
- Cholesterol: 21.5mg
