Perfect your Pavlova this Holiday Season

The Aussie pav is an iconic summer dessert, and it's perfect for Christmas and the holiday season. Crisp exterior, with a soft, marshmallow centre topped with cream and seasonal fruits. Learn tips and tricks on how to perfect your pavlova for the festive season ahead.

Or just get a store-bought one, and transform into something spectacular with our pavlova recipes. There's recipes for individual mini pavlovas as well as a Christmas wreath option, and vegan options as well. All featuring summer fruit favourites such as irresistible Calypso mangoes, Perfection Berries and Midnight Beauty Grapes. 

Tips for making the best pavlova

1. Use room temperature egg whites: Egg whites which are at room temperature will create a more stable meringue. Remove eggs from the fridge around 45 minutes before using. Keep in mind though that eggs are easier to separate when cold, so you can separate the eggs first, and then let the egg whites come to room temperature. 

2. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved: It's essential to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved into the egg whites for the meringue. To check, rub a little meringue between your fingers. If it feels grainy, the sugar hasn't dissolved. This is why it's best to use caster sugar to make pavlova as it dissolves more easily than regular white sugar. 

3. Make sure there's no fat in the meringue: If there's even a tiny bit of fat or oil in your egg whites, it will prevent them frothing up and turning into meringue. Start off with making sure your mixing bowl and beaters are completely clean. Wash with hot soapy water, and wipe them down with white vinegar to be extra careful. Use a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl, as fats and oil can cling to plastic bowls. Egg yolks contain fat, so be extra careful when separating egg yolks from egg whites. Separate each egg individually, and then add the egg whites to the mixing bowl. 

How to prevent a weeping pavlova

One of the problems that can happen with making a pavlova from scratch is that it can weep. This is when there's liquid seeping out the pavlova, known as weeping. This can happen while the pavlova is cooling, and sometimes even when it's still in the oven baking.  The reason a pavlova weeps is because of the sugar in the meringue, seeps out of the pavlova. There are a few reasons why this happen.

One reason is that the sugar hasn't dissolved properly - to prevent this use caster sugar as it has smaller crystals. Also, add the sugar in small increments, slowly, so that it dissolves properly.

The second reason for a weeping pavlova is high humidity. Try not to make a pavlova on a day that is quite humid. However, if you have no other option then what you can do is use a recipe that uses cornflour in the meringue base. Also, make the pavlova at a time when the kitchen is empty, so there is no ambient humidity from other things cooking. 

PAVLOVA RECIPES

Now that you know how to perfect your pavlova, here's a couple of recipes for you to try out. Featuring the best seasonal fresh produce, there's the classic Aussie pavlova, along with a pavlova wreath (perfect for Christmas), individual mini pavs, and vegan versions as well. 

        CALYPSO® MANGO AND          PASSIONFRUIT PAVLOVA

CALYPSO® MANGO PISTACHIO PAVLOVA WREATH WITH HAZELNUT SPREAD

PERFECTION RASPBERRY PAVLOVAS   WITH CUSTARD CREAM

PULL APART RASPBERRY PAVLOVA

PAVLOVA CLOUDS WITH CINNAMON SUGAR ROASTED MIDNIGHT BEAUTY^® GRAPES

CANNOLI CREAM CALYPSO^® MANGO PAV

 CALYPSO^® MANGO PAVLOVA ICE CREAMS

Happy Holidays from Perfection Fresh!