Day Of The Dead Halloween Pavlova
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 1.5 hours best made 1-2 days ahead of time
Serves: 10-12 people
- 240g/8ozs egg whites (around 8 large eggs), room temperature
- 330g/11.6ozs caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1.5 tablespoons cornflour/fine cornstarch
- 1.5 teaspoons white vinegar
- 400ml/14flozs. cream
- 4 tablespoons caster or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Fresh fruit to decorate (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, kiwifruit, pineapple rings, mango and a few small mint leaves)
Note: please make sure that your mixing bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean. I often wash them just to make sure. If there is a bit of grease or oil your pavlova won't whip up stiff enough.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with parchment. Trace a skull onto the parchment around 20cm/8 inches long. I use a silicon bake snake (no need to grease this) to make the shape and use two small ramekins to hold it into place. If you don't have a bake snake the pavlova will still work but it just helps to keep the pavlova in the shape.
Step 2 - Place the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer along with the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks. Then add the sugar gradually pouring it in in a steady stream. Then add the cornflour and vinegar. Keep whisking until you get thick, glossy peaks. You know when it is ready when you can tip the bowl upside down and the meringue doesn't move.
Step 3 - Scoop into the prepared tray and place in the oven. Turn the heat immediately down to 150C/302F and bake for 1 hour. Then reduce heat 130C/266F and bake for 30 minutes. Then turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool in the oven.
Step 4 - Whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form adding in the vanilla at the last 10 seconds. You want it firm enough to hold but not grainy. Spread over the pavlova. Don't worry if some of the crispy top comes off just spread the cream on top of it. Smooth down with an angled spatula. Then decorate with fruit. I made the eyes out of pineapple rings, kiwi fruit, raspberries and blueberries. Then the mouth was made of blueberries, a nose out of a strawberry end slice and details using mango and mint. Decorate with flowers.