Pavlova and I share an intimate bond. This is my story and recipe to make New Zealand style Pavlova. It was Christmas of 2014. I had decorated my home with lavender scented candles and Christmas wreaths. When the snow outside was boot crunching and everything around seemed imprisoned by the fangs of wintery silence I was alone at home at 2 pm on Christmas eve, crestfallen and spiritless because none of my friends were in town snuggled in a quilt with sore joints creaking like rusted building every time I tried to make a move sliding into the unknown depths of my sofa. The Christmas tree flashed and flicked in the living room of the snoozy Mrs. Marlow. The sky outside was flint grey. Some kids were playing with snow, hissing, and swishing on the snow and chatting away. I gulped the last sip of my yeasty beer staring at their aliveness. The mantle fire was dancing in its hypnotic jig of joy. I too wanted to feel more alive like everyone who seems to be waiting with breathless joy for Santa to knock on their doors at night. And scrolling mindlessly through the television I saw someone making Pavlova in a master chef competition. I just kept staring at her, how patiently she was resting on the plate glazed with polar snowy cream and luscious fruits licking hungrily my dripping saliva. So I rose up and went into the kitchen to try making her. She seemed to take all my winter yearnings away bringing bundles of sunny Christmassy joy from the land down under, so I thought why not give it a try!
It was evening by now and the kids outside my home had left for their Christmas parties at home. Mrs. Marlow’s home seemed smaller somehow with her daughters and their kids all around. And my Pavlova was ready and on the plate, left to get dressed for the evening. I decorated it with ripe kiwi slices, ripe mangoes, inviting pomegranate seeds and piquant strawberries. The colorful fruits decorated on the top seem like colorful little creatures sneaking through the Arctic white snowy cream and meringue.
Then I decided to cut it. The Pavlova seemed to crack a little on slicing like Christmas crackers while gelatinous and buttery from the inside. The crusty outer cover of Pavlova with the slightly acidic, citrus-flavored orange zest was bringing out the refreshing divine flavors of Kiwi Christmas. I grab a spoon of it and it melted my heart with warmth and joy like warm butter melts in your mouth. I gobbled up the entire Pavlova toasting to myself and the Pavlova, munching on its godly scrumptiousness and sipping an aged glass of Cognac.
This was my intimate story of endearment with this New Zealand dessert. It was only later on that I got to know about its history and debates of origin between the Aussies and Kiwis. Honestly, I didn’t care. To me, this was my Christmas invention, which brought happiness and warmth to me turning my Christmas of 2014 full of spirit and zest.
Here I have shared with y’all the recipe of the Pavlova, I made for myself.
Recipe to make authentic New Zealand style Pavlova for Christmas
Ingredients:
- 8 large egg whites
- 1 tsp vinegar or lime juice of half a slice of lemon
- 12 ounce of castor sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 9 ounces of mascarpone cheese
- 250 ml of cream
- 12 ounces of icing sugar
- Orange zest
- 4 ripe Kiwi fruits
- 1 Ripe Mango
- Strawberries
- 1 Ripe pineapple
- Pomegranate
- Passionfruit pulp
Method:
First, we have to make the meringue
- For this put in the egg whites into an electric blender and whisk it up till hard peaks get developed
- While it is being whisked you have to add your castor sugar. Don’t rush into it. Put in 1 tsp at a time. Now add some lime juice and vanilla essence and whisk it all up.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the Pavlova:
- Take a baking tray and line it with butter paper
- Grease the butter paper and dust some flour on it
- Now carefully unmold the meringue into a circle on the center of the baking tray. Smoothen its edges with a butter knife.
- Place it in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and once 10 minutes are done go ahead and further reduce the temperature to 250 degrees and bake for an hour till it forms a gorgeous crust and cracks on the outside.
- Allow it to cool in the oven with keeping the fan on otherwise it’ll go back to being soggy.
Cheese and cream glazing:
- Whisk up mascarpone cheese along with some cream until the time the cheese completely blends in with the cream
- Add into this some fresh orange zest along with the icing sugar and whisk it till it smoothens.
Garnish the Pavlova with fruits:
- Glaze the Pavlova with the cream and cheese mixture.
- Slice up your fruits and decorate it on top of the Pavlova.
- If you want you can also add some chocolate dressing on it
- And finally, dust some icing sugar on top for the perfect Christmassy look.
Pavlova is made during Christmas by Aussies and Kiwis. Try making this for Christmas this year and enjoy with your friends and family.
Happy baking!!