As mentioned, I think cracks in a pavlova add to the charm. Plus it can all be disguised with cream and fruit. Don’t forget that a broken pavlova is an Eton mess. So if it goes really wrong (it won’t), there’s always that. The key really is cooling slowly. Sometimes, I make the pavlova base in the evening and allow it to cool overnight. Just don’t forget it is in there and preheat the oven the next morning! My non-negotiable top tips are: Use caster sugar over granulated or icing sugar as it is the perfect fineness for a meringue which stabilises the dessert. Make sure you let the pavlova cool VERY slowly. You can wedge the oven door open slightly. It will need 4 hours at least (you want it totally cooled in the oven). Removing from the oven too early (when still warm) leads to a drastic temperature drop which can cause cracks. Adding cornflour and vinegar helps to stabilise the meringue and reduce the risk of cracking..

How do I store pavlova?

One of the many things I love about this Christmas pavlova is how it can be prepped ahead in stages. However, don’t be tempted to assemble the whole thing in advance. If you do, the cream and the pears will make the meringue soggy. This is how you can get ahead: Meringue: leave the meringue to cool completely and pop in an airtight container (or tightly wrap in clingfilm) for up to 2 days. Poached pears: keep them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Make sure they aren’t too snug together as they can bash each other and not look as pretty. Chocolate sauce: pour into an airtight container and pop in the fridge for up to 1 day. It will completely firm up in the fridge so take it out in the morning to come to room temp. Then warm it gently (either in short microwave bursts or over a double boiler) and keep stirring. It will soon loosen again. Whipped cream: I recommend whipping the cream on the day you want to use it. If you aren’t using it straight away, cover the bowl with cling film and pop in the fridge until ready to use.

How to make a chewier meringue?

In my opinion, the best meringues are crisp on the outside and deliciously chewy inside. To achieve this, you need to make sure you don’t overcook the meringue. Remember, even if it seems a little soft after 1 hour 45 minutes, it will continue to cook as it slowly cools in the oven. Overcooking meringue makes it dry and crumbly, not gorgeously chewy.

What can I make with the leftover egg yolks?

There are so many things you can make with leftover egg yolks! An obvious choice is custard. You then have the perfect excuse to make a crumble or my peach cobbler with cake mix . They are also perfect in soft and sweet brioche, buttery Gâteau Breton or custard tart. You can also use them in savoury dishes. They are my secret to creating unbelievably creamy pasta recipes. Don’t miss my buttery lemon pasta and carbonara with guanciale . My udon carbonara is another favourite. Homemade mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce are also quick and easy ways to use up egg yolks.

Christmas Pavlova

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This Christmas pavlova is the ultimate show stopping festive dessert. Imagine a crisp meringue base topped with softly whipped cream, red wine poached pears and a decadent chocolate sauce drizzle. The perfect make ahead dessert for easy entertaining…

Author: Margie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes, plus cooling
Total Time: 6 hours
Yield: 6 - 8 1x
Category: Dessert and Cakes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Australian
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the poached pears:

2 large oranges
6 ripe but firm small pears - small pears really are preferable for this - you can always use a vegetable peeler to shave them down a bit and cut their bottoms off, but leave their hats with the stalks on
480ml red wine (such as Pinot Noir)
60ml runny honey
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp ground cardamom

For the pavlova:

6 large egg whites
300 g caster sugar
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp cocoa powder

For the chocolate sauce:

75g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
100ml double cream

To serve:

600ml double cream, lightly whipped until spoonable

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Zest and juice one of the oranges and pour the juice into a large mixing bowl. Slice the remaining orange into ¼-inch rounds.
With a vegetable peeler, peel the pears, leaving them whole. Add the pears to the bowl with the orange juice and toss to coat (this will help prevent them from turning brown too quickly).
Add the orange slices, red wine, honey, sugar, cinnamon stick, and cardamom to a saucepan.
Place the pan over a medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and carefully add the pears and orange juice. Cover and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, occasionally rotating them using a wooden spoon, until the pears have softened enough for a skewer inserted in the middle of a pear at the thickest part to be met with no resistance.
Transfer the pears back to the bowl that you tossed with orange juice. Set aside to cool.
Next, make the pavlova: preheat the oven to 120C / 100C Fan. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on low until foamy, then increase to medium until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the caster sugar 1 tbsp at a time, whisking until dissolved. Increase the speed to high and whisk for 8 minutes, or until stiff peaks form and there are no grains of sugar dispersed in the mixture. Test this by rubbing some of the meringue between your thumb and index finger, it shouldn’t feel grainy.
Add the vinegar and whisk for a further 10 seconds until just combined.
Sieve in the cornflour and cocoa powder, then fold in with a large metal spoon. Take care to keep in as much air as possible.
Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper - using some of the meringue as glue to stick down the base of the baking paper to the tray. Pile the meringue in the middle, then lightly and evenly distribute into a dome about 15 cm in diameter.
Scoop out a little from the middle, to create a shallow volcano cavity, then add back to the sides and evenly distribute. Once smooth, using a butter knife or small palette knife, glide vertically up the surface and across the top of the pavlova on a slight angle to form a striped pattern. Clean up the cavity if necessary, then bake in the oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Next, turn the oven off but don’t open the oven door. Leave the pavlova inside to cool completely for at least 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce: put the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set aside. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place over a medium heat. Slowly bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir well until the chocolate is completely melted.
To serve: set the cooled pavlova onto a plate. Top with the gently whipped cream and cooled poached pears. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and enjoy!

Notes

Whipped cream: take care to whip the cream just to soft peaks for the decoration. if you over whip, it will split. Although you don’t have to throw it away! Keep whipping and you will eventually get something akin to butter. However, you will need to start again with fresh whipped cream for this Christmas pavlova.
Chocolate: I love dark chocolate as it balances out the sweetness of the pavlova. A good quality milk chocolate also works well. I sometimes grate over chocolate curls too. They look so pretty.
Nuts: to add a bit of texture, sprinkle this Christmas pavlova with toasted chopped nuts. Hazelnuts and almonds are delicious. I also love pistachios as the green looks super festive. Alternatively, crushed amaretti biscuits are divine!
Make it vegan: although I haven’t tried it personally, lots of people make vegan pavlova with aquafaba (chickpea water). You could give it a try and then top with vegan whipped cream. Oatly’s Whippable Creamy Oat is good. Then just make sure your dark chocolate is vegan-friendly and swap the honey for maple syrup.
Make ahead: this Christmas pavlova can be prepped ahead in stages. Don’t be tempted to assemble the whole thing in advance or it will go soggy. See FAQs for full make ahead advice.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/christmas-pavlova-pears/