Globecooking dessert : Lemon Cream Pavlova (Australia)

The dessert in my Australian-themed Kitchen Trotter box was the classic Pavlova, a dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, because it was created in her honour on one of her trips down under (but whether to New Zealand or Australia is a matter of some controversy !). It traditionally features kiwi fruit, passion fruit and strawberries but I went for a more British take, with peaches and blackberries instead of passion fruit.

The box included a packet of pavlova mix but it's easy enough to create your own meringues without using a shortcut. I've included the "from scratch" method below as well. I also gave my cream filling a citrussy twist but it's entirely up to you if you want to stay traditional or go for the lemon version !

 Lemon Cream Pavlova

ingredients :

a pack of meringue mix & 10cl water (or replace with 4 egg whites and 250g caster sugar)

10g cornflour

1tsp white wine vinegar

30ml whipping cream (or 25ml marscapone & 3tbsp lemon curd)

summer fruits to garnish (kiwifruit, passionfruit, strawberries, blackberries, peach, ..)

Put the meringue mix and water in a bowl and stir to dissolve - or put the egg whites into a bowl if making from scratch.

Whisk with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks. Whisk in the cornflour and vinegar (then delicately fold in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, if making from scratch).

Spoon onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment to create a thick disc about the size of a dinner plate.

Bake at 120° for an hour and a half then leave it to cool in the fridge to avoid cracks in the meringue. Peel off the baking parchment and put on a plate.

Traditionally you should use whipped cream - take 30ml of whipping cream and beat on high speed until it's firm. I decided to use a tub of marscapone instead and stir in a few tablespoons of lemon curd, to give it a nice tang. Quicker and tastier in my humble opinion !

Use a palette knife to spread the lemon cream over the top of the meringue.

Slice the fruit and arrange artistically on top. Keep in the fridge until you serve it.

The meringue was just the way I like it - crispy on the outside but slightly gooey on the inside - and the addition of zingy lemon cream and fresh fruit made a refreshing dessert which went down a treat after our Sunday roast.

*** Don't miss my country-by-country globecooking recipe index ! ***

Fancy trying some more Aussie cuisine? How about BBQ Beef Pies, ANZAC biscuits or Aussie burger and chips with spicy coleslaw?