Pavlova with Salted Caramel and Berries

I’ve made lots of pavlovas over the years, and this recipe is a winner! It’s from delicious. Love to Cook, by Valli Little, the recent 2013 cook book from delicious. magazine.

The pavlova is crisp on the outside and has a lovely marshmallow centre. The salted caramel sauce goes very well with the pavlova, and is a sweet contrast to the slightly acidic berries.

Thank you to my talented colleague Gez for the title photograph.

See http://www.gezxaviermansfielddesign.com/ for more of his photography and designs.

Ingredients

Pavlova

6 egg whites

350 gms caster sugar

1 tbs white balsamic vinegar

1 tbs cornflour, sifted

50g icing sugar, sifted

600 mls thickened cream

500 gms mixed fresh berries – raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries work well.

Salted Caramel

550 gms caster sugar

300 mls thickened cream (at room temperature)

1/2-1 tsp sea salt flakes, to taste

Pavlova before the salted caramel

Method

Preheat oven to 150 degrees C, non fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Place egg whites in the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 3-4 minutes to soft peaks.

Add caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next, whisking until mixture is glossy. Reduce speed to low, then add balsamic vinegar, cornflour and icing sugar, beating to combine.

Spread mixture over the baking paper in a round or oblong shape, fairly high, making a slight indent in the centre. Reduce oven to 125-130  degrees C depending on how hot your oven is, and bake pavlova for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave meringue in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1-2 hours until cooled completely.

Remove from oven and place on a serving plate or board.

For the salted caramel, combine sugar with 125 mls water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and cook, without stirring, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush, for 8-10 minutes until a golden caramel forms.

Remove from heat and pour in cream – be careful, as mixture will bubble fiercely. Return saucepan to low heat, add salt to taste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until smooth.

To serve – whisk cream to soft peaks, then spread over pavlova. Scatter over berries When ready to serve, drizzle with the salted caramel that has been gently warmed.

Pavlova with salted caramel drizzle