Iced VoVo Pavlova
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
The pavlova is best baked a day ahead
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1.5 hours
- 5 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups caster or superfine sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons cornflour or fine cornstarch
- 1.5 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 600ml/21.2 fl ozs. cream
- 1/4 cup icing or confectioners sugar
- Pink food colouring
- 1 punnet raspberries
- 100g/3.5ozs raspberry jam
- 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 16x25cm (6.4x10inch) tin with parchment on the base and sides extending up an inch above the rim.
Step 2 - In a completely clean mixer with clean whisk (the pavlova won't work if there is any grease in the bowl or on the whisk), whisk the egg whites until soft and foamy. Then add the cornflour and vinegar and whisk again and then add the sugar in a steady stream while it is mixing. Whisk until you get firm peaks-that is you can tip the bowl upside down (careful! ;) ) and the meringue doesn't move.
Step 3 - Scoop into the prepared tin and place in the oven immediately turning down the heat to 130C/260F. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pavlova to cool in the oven, preferably overnight.
Step 4 - Whip the cream with sieved icing sugar with enough pink food colouring to give it a pastel pink shade (I start off quite sparingly). Spread some of the cream in the centre where the pavlova may have sunken a little.
Step 5 - Place a stripe of jam down the centre and top with fresh raspberries. Then fill a large piping bag fitted with the largest star tip with the pink cream and pipe stars on each side of the jam. Sprinkle with the coconut and serve.