in love with pavlova...

Our family loves this particular passion fruit meringue cake from The Patissier. Its not only our all time favourite cake but every one has tried it rave about it. =) Yes! It is that GOOD!! A light sweetened meringue sponge cake filled with a burst of flavour from passion fruit mousse, fresh mangoes and strawberries. Simply HEAVEN!! 

And that yummy cake inspire me to go online searching for meringue cake recipes. Then I came across this sweet dessert Pavlova while surfing. Pavlova is a meringue cake with a light delicate, crisp crust & a soft light inside. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time, but is eaten all year round in many Australian and New Zealand homes. I know I have to bake this after a quick glance through the recipe. Its one step closer to finding the ideal recipe for my dream cake. Plus it is not difficult at all.

But what seems like an easy & quick recipe turned up to be a "memorable" experience for me... =( Recipe asked for 4 egg whites... I used 12 egg whites in total... No I am not baking for a party... These egg whites refused to rise... I cleaned & brushed & wipe dry to make sure the mixing bowl is spotless but somehow my second batch of egg whites didn't rise too... Sadly I have to redo everything all over again for the third time. 3 times a charm & this time my lovely whites rise & fluffy!! =) I made 4 mini ones & 1 big one, topped with a thin layer of whipped cream, passion fruits & strawberries.

I fall in love at the very first bite!!! Its simply irresistible!!! Oh my... sweet delicate crisp shell and melt into the marshmallow-like centre well balance with these tart flavored fruits. What's not to love? And they are a great choice for those on a low-fat diet as meringues themselves are fat-free. It does taste quite close to our favorite passion fruit meringue cake!! Not perfect yet but I know I can now easily bake it whenever the craving kicks in. =) Teehee!

If you have never had one before go ahead and try it you will fall in love with this dessert & be hooked.

Passion Fruit Strawberry Pavlova

Ingredients:

•Meringue•

4 egg whites (120gm)

1 cup (200 gm) caster sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp white vinegar

•Toppings•

200ml whipping cream

1 tbsp sugar

2 or more passion fruits (about 1/2 passion fruit for 1 mini one)

Strawberries (cut into chunks)

Note: alternatively you can top with kiwi, mango or berries etc.

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180C. Draw an 7 inch circle or four 4 inch circles on the opposite side of the baking paper. 

    Place drawn side down on baking tray.

2. Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in about 1 tablespoon of sugar at a time.

3. Continue to beat until stiff peak, meringue is thick, white and glossy.

4. Mound meringue onto the drawn circle, smoothing the sides & top.

5. Put into preheated oven & turn down the temperature to 130C. 7 inch takes about 60 to 75 mins to be done 

    while mini ones take about 40 mins  or until the outside is dry.

6. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. The cooled 

    meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days. 

7. Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, 

    with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the 

    softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, 

    on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.

Note: don't worry if your meringue cracks. its totally fine with some cracks here & there.