Spirited Essence Works

This past week, I did an activity where I took my residents on a trip to Australia. We learned about the government, wildlife, local sites, and Australian slang. To make it more enticing for my residents to come to the activity, I made a traditional Australian dessert called Pavlova. It’s a meringue cake with whipped cream and fruit. Surprisingly, it’s gluten free and you could easily make it dairy free by using soy whipped cream. It’s light and fluffy, yet delightfully filling. If you would like to try a taste from the land down under, check it out!

Pavlova

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

6 Egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 tsp of Salt

1 1/2 cups of Superfine sugar

1 tbsp of Cornstarch

2 tsp of Vinegar

1 tsp of Vanilla

2 cups of Whipped cream

3 cups of Fresh fruit 

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and use a plate or pie tin to draw a 9-inch circle in the middle of the paper with a pencil. Turn the paper over so the circle is on the bottom.

Add the egg whites and salt to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high until the whites form soft peaks, about 1 minute. In a blender, take sugar and blend until granules are superfine. Do not use powdered sugar instead. With the mixer still running, slowly add the sugar and beat on high for another minute or so until the whites hold firm, shiny peaks.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the cornstarch over the beaten whites. Add the vinegar and vanilla and gently fold them all into the whites with a spatula.

Scoop the meringue into a pile in the circle on the parchment paper and smooth them out with a spatula. Use the spatula to make a gentle depression in the middle of the meringue.

Reduce the oven heat to 250°F. Place the meringue in the oven and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave the door closed and let the meringue cool completely in the oven.

Carefully remove the pavlova from the baking sheet and center it on a serving platter. Spread the top evenly with whipped cream and arrange fruit nicely on the top. A variety of fruit can be used. Traditionally, kiwi and passion fruit are used but I put raspberries and blackberries on mine. To serve, cut into wedges.

Enjoy!