Peach Melba Pavlova Wreath
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours concurrently
Serves: 10 people
This recipe is best made over 2 days
For Pavlova
- 150g/5ozs egg whites (make sure there is no trace of yolk in them at all), room temperature
- 250g/8.8ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 125g/4ozs raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
For Peaches
- 2 yellow peaches
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
To Decorate
- 400ml/14flozs pure or thickened cream
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 170g/6ozs punnet fresh raspberries
- small handful of redcurrants
- Fresh mint leaves to decorate
- I also used some Turkish delight and Raffaello chocolates
Step 1 - First ensure that your bowl and beaters are very clean. Preheat oven to 80C/176F fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with parchment. Whisk the egg whites until you get soft peaks. Turn off the beaters and add the cream of tartar and beat for 15 seconds. Then slowly add the sugar in a thin stream. take a spatula and run it along the sides to incorporate any sugar that has collected around the top of the meringue and then whisk on high until you get stiff peaks (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down and the meringue won't move).
Step 2 -Using two large serving spoons make ovals shaped meringues using the two spoons against each other to scoop them out on the parchment. Space each meringue an inch apart to allow for a bit of spreading and growing. Bake these in the oven for 2 hours. Then turn off the heat and allow to cool completely in the oven.
Step 3 -While the pavlova is baking make the burnt raspberry sauce. Add the raspberries in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium to high heat. The raspberries should soften. Add the sugar and stir until you water mostly evaporates and it starts to catch on the base of the saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix well. Strain the pips out and you'll get about 2 tablespoons of burnt raspberry sauce.
Step 4 -It's time to also make the peaches as you want them chilled. Place a small saucepan of water onto simmer and have a bowl of ice water ready. Cut an X across the peach seam and opposite and plunge the peaches in the saucepan for 30-60 seconds. Remove using tongs and plunge into the ice water. After a minute peel the skin off the peaches. Cut into small chunks. In a small saucepan over medium heat, dissolve sugar in water and boil for 5 minutes until syrupy. Once syrupy, add peaches in and cook for 3-5 minutes. Chill.
Step 5 -The next day brush the meringues with the raspberry sauce making patterns. Place in a 100C/212F fan forced oven for 10 minutes. Cool. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla bean paste until you get voluminous peaks. Keep in the fridge until needed.
Step 6 -Arrange the sections into a wreath shape on a large platter. Pipe or dollop the cream over each meringue and then decorate with fresh raspberries, peach, red currants and mint leaves. Keep in the fridge until serving.