Shopping list - Pavlova
6 large free range egg whites
350g caster sugar
1½ teaspoon cornflour
1½ teaspoon white wine vinegar
Poached pears:
75cl bottle fruity red wine (shiraz)
250g light brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
250g frozen blackberries
8 mini-pears or 4 large pears
To serve:
250ml double cream
125g mascarpone
30g icing sugar
zest of 1 orange, grated
sprigs of lemon thyme or mint, optional
A delicious, beautiful Meringue Christmas Wreath filled with whipped cream, fruit and fruit syrup is an impressive dessert, at the end of a Christmas dinner. But don't be fooled! This dessert is easy to make, even for beginners, with a little patience. Start 1 max. 2 days in advance, that's the most important, then you can make the 3 componants in stages.
Start with the Meringue Wreath
Draw a circle on baking paper.
Beat the egg whites almost stiff.
Beat in the sugar, spoon after spoon.
Add the cornstarch and mix.
Mix in the vinegar.
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Spoon heaps of meringue in the circle.
Preheat the oven to 140°C, fan 120°C
Press in wells, using a tablespoon.
Bake the wreath for 1 hour, turn the oven off.
Let the wreath dry in the oven for 2 hours.
Store the cold wreath in an airtight container.
Set the container aside until tomorrow and poach the fruit
Peel and core the pears and wash the blackberries.
Put red wine, sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan.
Add the blackberries and bring the mixture to the boil.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved and let the blackberries simmer very gently, for 10 minutes
Pour the juice through a sieve into a clean pan.
Set the blackberries aside and put cinnamon and pears in.
Place the pears in the syrup and bring to a boil.
Let the pears simmer 45 - 60 minutes in the wine mixture.
Bring the syrup to a boil, let it reduce gently.
Pour the syrup over the pears and let them cool completely.
Whip the cream and mascarpone with the sugar and orange zest.
Spoon or pipe the whipped cream into the indents in the Pavlova.
Decorate the Christmas Wreath with pears, blackberries and drops of syrup, optionally add the herbs
Merry Christmas!