Pavlova royale | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is difference between meringue and pavlova? ›

What's the Difference Between Pavlova and Meringue? Pavlovas and meringues are both made of whipped egg white, but a Pavlova has a delicate crispy exterior with pillowy soft marshmallow inside, while meringue is dry and crisp all the way through.

Just make sure the lemon is completely dry before zesting. Can I make pavlova ahead of time? While meringues can be made a few days ahead and stored in an air-tight container, pavlovas cannot be made more than 24 hours in advance.

The acid will actually help stabilise your whipped whites too. That's why we add cream of tartar to our pavlova recipes. If you use a little more vinegar in the meringue, you'll encourage a soft centre and a crisp shell.

The most common reasons for soupy meringue is underbeating, and adding the sugar too soon, leaving out the cream of tartar, and having grease or water in the bowl or on your beaters.

Don't open the oven door while the Pavlova is baking! If you must check the shell when the baking time is up, very quickly open the door and tap on the shell, then gently close the door straight away. The Pavlova must be left to cool completely in the oven, undisturbed.

If there is a little bit of yolk in the mix the egg white & sugar foam won't be as stable as it could be. It also won't have reached the volume that it would normally get to. When it is in the oven the pav will increase in volume & will crack the outside.

How Do I Know My Pavlova Is Done? A perfectly baked pavlova should be pale and look dry, but a skewer inserted in the meringue should come out with a thick sticky, marshmallow-like consistency. If you aren't sure about the pavlova's doneness, turn the oven off, open the door and leave the meringue for up to an hour.

An oven that's too hot will turn your meringue brown and give it a “caramelised” flavour. Recipes calling for pavlova to be left in the oven overnight may actually overcook it.

The extra air expands in the oven and can overstretch the cells of whisked egg white, causing them to break and the meringue to collapse. Whisk the egg whites until they reach peaks where the tip just flops over, then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time.

What can go wrong with pavlova? ›

However if the pavlova is collapsing completely it could be too soft. If it is wet or humid weather then this can affect a meringue and make it very soft. Also the baking sheet should be lined with non-stick baking parchment (parchment paper) to help the meringue to release more easily.

If you do happen to overbeat your meringue (which may end up looking clumpy and watery) you can try to save it by adding another egg white.

Our answer. Nigella's pavlovas, such as Lemon Pavlova (from SIMPLY NIGELLA), contain cornflour (cornstarch) in the meringue. The cornflour helps the meringue to stay soft in the centre, to give the contrast of crisp crust and marshmallowy interior.

Make sure your utensils and egg whites are free of any grease. Do not use parchment paper or a greased and floured baking sheet– the meringue will often stick to them. Use aluminum foil.

Tastes and smells like egg

The only time I had this issue was when I made a soft pavlova without cornflour/vinegar.

Named after the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, a pavlova is essentially a meringue cake made of whipped egg whites and sugar. It's perfectly light and crisp on the outside, ever so slightly chewy, and the middle tastes like a light, airy marshmallow.

The resulting texture is light and airy, and the taste is sweet and ethereal. Meringue can be used in various desserts, including pies, cakes, and cookies, as a topping or an ingredient. There are three basic types of meringue: French, Swiss, and Italian.

French meringue is the least stable of the three meringue types but the lightest and the most airy. It is often used for making individual meringues, pavlovas, and torte layers with the addition of ground nuts.

The outside of a pavlova meringue may not be quite as brilliantly white as a crisp meringue because of the higher oven temperature but it should not be buff coloured or dark brown. If the meringue is taking on too much colour then the oven temperature is too high.