Chocolate Cream & Wild Berry Pavlova Wreath
Filling the centre of a wreath rather than the top of a disc is the best trick for loading your pav with lots of fresh cream without collapsing the delicate meringue.
Serves: 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 40 minutes, plus cooling in the oven
INGREDIENTS
8 egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3 teaspoons cornflour
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
For the chocolate cream
300ml thickened cream
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
For the topping
1 punnet blackberries
1 punnet blueberries
icing sugar, to dust
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 120C. Line a pizza tray with non stick baking paper, using a spot of oil under the paper to hold it in place. Lightly spray the paper with oil and dust with cornflour to stop the meringue sticking.
In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer on speed 5 until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy. Beat in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla.
Spoon the meringue onto the tray, using a large kitchen spoon to dollop it into a wreath shape.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 100C and bake for a further hour and 20 minutes, or until the meringue is crisp and dry.
Turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside with the door closed to cool completely.
For the chocolate cream, place the cream in the bowl of a mixer and beat with the whisk until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and beat until smooth and thoroughly whipped, being careful not to overwhip or it won't dollop nicely.
Add the cocoa and gently fold it through with a spoon, leaving it slightly under mixed so you have ribbons and streaks of cocoa through the white cream.
Fill the centre and top of the wreath with the cocoa cream.
Top with the fresh berries and dust with icing sugar before serving.
HINTS
The wreath shape is structural, not decorative - the cream sits in the middle instead of pressing down on the meringue.
Leave it in the switched off oven to cool completely. Pulling a pav into a cold kitchen is how you crack it.
Fold the cocoa through the cream at the last moment and leave it streaky. Fully mixed it goes flat brown and loses the marbling.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 8 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 11700kJ (2800 calories)
Protein: 40g
Fat: 100g
Saturated fat: 65g
Carbohydrates: 420g
Sugars: 400g
Fibre: 12g
Sodium: 450mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.