Strawberry and Vanilla Pavlova
You will need:
For the Meringue
3 large egg whites
180g caster sugar
1 teaspoon of Taylor & Colledge pure vanilla extract
Pavlova Filling
250g mascarpone
200g fromage frais
1 teaspoon of Taylor & Colledge Pure vanilla extract
1 dessertspoon caster sugar
Strawberry topping
400g British strawberries
1 dessertspoon of caster sugar
Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Icing Sugar to dust
Sprigs of mint (optional)
Preparation
Meringue Base
- Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk until they form stiff peaks, making sure you do not over whisk. Gradually add the caster sugar to the stiff egg whites folding in with a spatula until it is mixed in well. Then add Taylor & Colledge’s pure vanilla extract.
- Take a third of the mixture and spread it onto the prepared baking sheet to form a circle approximately 20 cm in diameter. Then spoon blobs of the mixture around the rim of the base layer to form a circle all around the edge and use a skewer to make swirls to decorate the tops of the blobs of meringue
- Put the meringue into an oven preheated to 150° then turn down the heat to 140° and leave the meringue to cook for an hour.
- Then turn the oven off while leaving the Pavlova in the oven to cool down completely.
Topping and Decoration
- It’s best to prepare the topping shortly before serving. Firstly whisk the mascarpone, Taylor & Colledge pure vanilla extract, fromage frais and caster sugar together.
- Next prepare the purée. Take approximately a third of the strawberries, blend them together then add a dessert spoonful of sugar and pass the mixture through a sieve.
- Finally remove the pavlova from the baking sheet and place on a serving plate, smooth over the vanilla cream mixture, arrange the strawberries on top, dust the strawberries with Taylor & Colledge vanilla icing sugar then pour over the strawberry purée before serving. For that extra special touch add a few sprigs of fresh mint on top for decoration.