Dessert "Pavlova": history of origin and detailed recipe. Meringue

31.07.2022

If you are now sad, hoping to find the “same” recipe for this dessert, I hasten to reassure you. “The same one” is probably not to be found. Because the debut of this sweet on the culinary scene took place at the beginning of the last century. Ballet dancer Anna Pavlova in 1926 toured the world, and admiring spectators generously endowed the "star" with signs of attention. One of these is a dessert named after her.

By the way, it is still not known whether the chef from Australia or New Zealand presented this dish to Anna. But be that as it may, the delicacy immediately strode across the countries and for almost a century has been a classic of the world confectionery art.

Dessert "Pavlova": a step by step recipe

If you and your kitchen are ready to take on this challenge, I suggest you start.

Ingredients

squirrels - 4 pieces;
powdered sugar - 180 g;
corn starch - 2.5 tsp;
wine vinegar - 1.5 tsp;
vanilla sugar - 10 g.

A little about ingredients

With proteins, everything is clear - neatly separated from the yolks, they are waiting in the wings.

We need cornstarch for the viscosity of the inner world of our meringue. Yes, it's meringues. Because meringue is a protein cream baked until dry. And meringue is the same, but with a stretching core.

Wine vinegar. In general, "tartar" is often found in recipes. It sounds almost like “unicorn tail” to me, so I chose the middle option between “cream of tartar” and just vinegar or lemon.

There is not much to say about vanilla sugar. Except perhaps that it can not be used at all.

Cooking

Are we getting started? First, turn on the oven at 130 degrees. Now we take the whites and beat them in a fat-free and dry bowl, gradually adding powdered sugar with vanilla.

When the powder is completely introduced, starch can be added.

At the final stage of whipping, when the protein peaks are already holding their shape well, pour in the wine vinegar. Continue beating until stiff, standing peaks.

After that, with a pastry bag, we place our meringue in the form of a nest on the parchment.

If you want a portioned dessert, then a few nests, but of a smaller diameter.

All. We lower the temperature in the oven to 100 degrees and send our workpiece there for an hour and a half. Here, given the errors in the temperature regime of ovens and the different sizes of desserts, you should turn on all your intuition. The right meringue will be crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. If water drops suddenly appeared, then it was overexposed.

We cool the meringue slowly, just slightly opening the oven door. And after 40 minutes we get it completely.

As soon as the dessert preparation has completely cooled down, we begin to deal with the cream. The most suitable are whipped cream topped with berries.

For cream:

cream 33% fat - 300 g;
powdered sugar - exclusively to your taste. But under the condition of a very sweet meringue, it is better not to abuse the sugar in the cream;
Berries are preferably fresh. But you can also frozen, if you drain the juice from them in advance.

We begin to whip the cream, gradually adding powdered sugar. Feel free to taste to control the sweetness.

Turn off the mixer when the whisk begins to leave a clear pattern on the surface of the cream. Now we fill our meringues with cream and decorate with berries.

By this time, tea should already be brewed, because the Anna Pavlova dessert must be assembled strictly before serving.

Enjoy your meal!

How did this woman deserve to stay with us for centuries in a dessert with a divine and light taste? Sweet, strange, tender Anna.

We do not know how the famous ballerina of the twenties of the last century actually lived. Even the biography of Anna Pavlova is devoted only to the art and secrets of virtuoso dance. The second book about a beautiful and sensitive creature was written from the words of her husband Victor Dandre. Overwhelmed with despair and longing after the loss of a loved one, the meaning of his whole life, he was only able to describe in general terms their happy journey together.

So Anna lived with her work and was overwhelmed by her muse, that she did not see the point in talking about love troubles and everyday problems. For that, her career growth was observed by Australia and New Zealand. The star soared into the sky and sparkled with all its facets so brightly that standing ovations and millions of flowers at their feet turned out to be a small fraction of what they could give their idol in gratitude for the time spent on her performances.

Disputes over the creation of a dessert for a ballerina do not stop until now. In New Zealand, it is believed that the chef of the hotel restaurant, where Pavlova spent her free time, during her tour in 1926, became the “daddy” of the recipe. But the inhabitants of Australia claim that the dessert in their Esplanade hotel menu appeared in 1935 with the help of the famous culinary specialist Bert Sachet. After tasting the cake, the chef himself could not restrain his admiration, exclaiming “Oh, how airy he is! Just like Pavlova herself! And, since this particular cake was made on the occasion of the ballerina's birthday, he did not have to come up with a name.

An interesting fact is that today we will not be able to accurately determine the authentic recipe for the Anna Pavlova cake. Professor Helen Leach has made an excellent collection of recipes derived from the original under the same name. There are 667 of them in the book. The desserts were collected from three hundred original cookery books. The professor called the selection "Pavlova: A Piece of New Zealand's Culinary History."

At the heart of all recipes for cakes and dessert masses is meringue. It symbolizes the white outfit of a ballerina. The decoration is snow-white butter cream and slices of fresh tropical fruits. Outside, the dessert is a baked solid mass, inside which contains the whole secret of the recipe. Delicate, airy and unimaginably tasty secret of real meringue under the crust lies in this creation of a confectioner.

Cooking the Anna Pavlova cake according to the classic recipe takes a lot of time and effort, but it's worth it. If you overexpose a heated oven or meringue, on the contrary, there is not enough fire, then the dessert will be hopelessly spoiled. Everything must be done strictly in proportions until the last second of baking. And then your dessert will be perfect, as in the photo.

If the cake emits sweet droplets during baking, then the oven is very hot. If you took the dessert out of the oven and noticed that he began to “cry”, then he did not have enough heat and time to fully cook. The first time the recipe may not work, do not be discouraged. "Pavlova" - capricious sweetness.
From the very first point of preparation, be attentive to your dish.

While the creation process is going on, turn on your favorite music, cheer yourself up, sing, dance around the kitchen and cook dessert with love. This will help you create your masterpiece under the eternal name "Anna Pavlova".

Dessert recipe:

To prepare a real incomparable Anna Pavlova cake, you will need the following products:

Chicken egg 4 pcs
Sugar 225 gr
Vinegar 1 tsp
Vanilla sugar, vanillin 1 tsp
Starch 1 tbsp

Let's start cooking:

To begin with, according to the recipe, we need to separate the protein from the yolk so that not a single drop of the yolk gets into the white mass, otherwise the dough will not initially be suitable for making this dessert. Remember: one mistake and all the work will most likely go to the trash can.

Whilst your oven is heating up to 180C, beat egg whites until frothy, which should be as thick as possible. If you have a mixer, beat with a mixer. This is allowed in the recipe. With good thickening, add sugar in portions and mix it with foam. If you pour out all the sugar at once, the foam will stop forming; the mass will not turn out to be lush.

Prepare a separate clean and dry bowl. Mix vanilla with starch in it, add 1 teaspoon of vinegar, mix well. Gently pour the resulting mixture into the proteins, continuing to stir the mass. Make sure that the resulting mixture shines, becomes very thick.

It is not recommended to spread the blank for dessert on a bare baking sheet. Use parchment. Imagine an even circle on a baking sheet or draw it on parchment with a pencil. When evenly laying out the mass in the drawn circle, pay attention to the fact that there is a margin of 2 centimeters to the edges - as in the photo.

Place the resulting form in a preheated oven and immediately reduce the heat to 100C. To bake a dessert according to the recipe, you will need exactly 60 minutes.
Do not pull out the meringue immediately. If it comes into contact with cold air, it will deform and deflate. The form must cool in the oven.

You can take out the already cooled cake, which has remembered its shape, put it on a beautiful cake dish and decorate with whipped cream and pre-cooked pieces of fresh fruit. For lovers of piquancy and originality in recipes, add passion fruit or feihua as a fruit.

Decoration wishes:

Try to make sure that the cake is decorated just before serving. Because fruit juice can soak through the hard but brittle rind and ruin the look.

This recipe is designed for 8 servings, which, if desired, can be consumed even by two. The lightness and low calorie content of the cake - meringue does not allow you to get enough of dessert and move away from the plate, at least for a moment. Baking turns out to be unconditionally tender, crispy, sweet and unobtrusive.

And here is a visual aid - a video clip about the preparation of dessert.

Interesting Dessert Facts - Pawzilla and Palokong

From love to "Anna" history is full of various events of different times. For example, quite recently, 15 years ago, the New Zealand National Museum Te Papa Tongareva in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, on his birthday created a huge Pavlova cake according to a historical recipe 45 meters long (see photo). Due to her huge size, Annushka was renamed "Pavzilla" to denote his scale and pomposity. It was an honor to share this dessert between the guests and the heroes of the occasion, the Minister of New Zealand, Jenny Shipley.

But the years go by and the popularity of the eternally young ballerina is still gaining momentum, captivating with her perfection again and again. This is confirmed by the facts that happened in 2005 in the same New Zealand, which does not have a soul in the work of confectionery art “Anna Pavlova”. A huge sweet Pavlokong cake has become an ornament of the Eastern Institute of Technology, thanks to its students. To make such a huge admiration for dessert, it took as many as 5 thousand egg whites, a hundred kilos of sugar and the same number of liters of pure cream. The dessert recipe was followed in this case as well.

So the splendor of the ballerina of the last century, the incomparable Pavlova, remained among us, in memories, photos and the history of the creation of a dessert that is loved in all corners of the planet. And, even those who are not at all passionate about art and do not understand who they are talking about, after tasting this dessert, they will definitely take an interest in the biography of a person who managed to win the hearts of the people so much that he would never die.

or simply - meringue with cream and berries

It is believed that this dessert was invented by an Australian chef (I don’t remember the name, sorry) and dedicated it to the brilliant Russian ballerina. It seems that the original "Pavlova" was prepared with strawberries and kiwi, but there are already hundreds of options for preparing this dessert, and it is already impossible to make out which one is authentic. The set of products, as a rule, is almost identical, the number of products and cooking methods differ, but the essence is the same - the Pavlova dessert is a meringue with filling and berries (fruits), where:
- meringue - crispy on the outside and soft inside (as, in fact, it should be merengue);
- filler - in the original - it is cream, but cream cheeses, for example, mascarpone, various creams, curds, etc. are also used;
- berries and fruits - absolutely any available at the time of preparation, berries or fruits with sourness are preferred.

Preparing this dessert is very simple, we need:

Egg white - 4 pcs
Sugar - 200g
Corn starch - 1-1.5 teaspoons
Wine white vinegar - 1 teaspoon
For filler:
Cream (35%) - 250-300g
Powdered sugar - 1-2 teaspoons
Vanilla extract - 0.5 teaspoon
Fresh berries - any, the more, the tastier

In general, the number of products depends on the desired number of cakes, and the calculation principle is proteins: we take sugar by weight 1: 2, (for example, for 100 g of proteins, we take 200 g of sugar), then everything will work out.

The classic "Pavlova" is prepared in the form of one large cake, but small portioned cakes are also prepared.

I personally like the last option more, they are somehow more interesting and more elegant. In addition, they can be filled as needed. A large cake is beautiful only while it is whole; cutting it into beautiful portioned pieces is very problematic. Which, in principle, is not a problem, and sometimes some chaos is even appropriate and adds fun. The big "Pavlova" (in the first photo) was swept away by a cheerful company of boys and girls - just with spoons straight from the dish.
In general, the shape and size do not affect the taste, and a large cake and small cakes are very tasty and, as a rule, are liked by almost everyone.

Proteins are carefully separated from the yolks and whipped into foam.
Without stopping beating, gradually add sugar.
Beat until the mass becomes dense, white and shiny.
Now add vinegar and starch, mix at low speed.
We get such a thick, stable mass:
If we want to get small cakes, put the mass in the form of conditional baskets on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. You can use a pastry bag (as in the photo), or you can just lay it out with a spoon, it also turns out pretty.
If we are preparing a large cake, then we lay out the whole mass in the form of a large basket (in fact, a cake with sides), you can also do this either from a bag or just with a spoon.
We send it to a warm oven, the temperature is not higher than 100-110 ° C. The baking time depends on the size of the dessert, a large “basket” takes longer to cook (approximately 2-2.5-3 hours) than small cakes (1-1.5 hours), and from the oven, of course. The bottom line is that we need to get a completely dry, hard surface, and inside the meringue should remain soft.
This is what the finished basket looks like.
Yes, also, if you want to get not white, but pinkish-beige meringue (which also looks nice), then you need to slightly increase the temperature, literally by 5-7 degrees.
My small baskets are completely white, cooked at 110°C, and the large one is slightly beige, cooked at 115°C.
Fill the meringue with cream and berries just before serving, otherwise it will get soggy.
So, if the guests are already on the doorstep ... oh, no, they are already asking for tea at the table, while the kettle is boiling and tea is brewing ... quickly whip the cream with a couple of teaspoons of powdered sugar and vanilla extract and fill the baskets.
Yes, more, more we do not regret

We have heard many romantic stories about how everyone's favorite Pavlova dessert came to be. Australia and New Zealand still cannot agree on whose hands it was. But does it really matter to us when we talk about a stunning classic that has long and firmly taken its place in the hearts of millions of people around the world. To be honest, I don’t know a dessert easier to prepare (unless you get a cookie from a pack) than Pavlova. However, the result that we get deserves three times as much effort. No, this is not meringue or meringue at all, as many people think. Pavlova's philosophy is much deeper. It is, first of all, a game of textures and tastes. Properly prepared, the dessert looks like a girl's character: a little stiffness on the outside and incredible tenderness inside. When you break off a piece, pieces of crispy meringue crumble like thousands of stars in the sky, and inside you will find a dense soft mass, similar to melting marshmallows. Add classic air creams on cream or mascarpone and your favorite fruits. I chose the exotic: mango, passion fruit and lime. A little sourness won't hurt this miracle.

Separate the squirrels (4 pcs) from the yolks. I know it's obvious, but I'll say it anyway. It is necessary to make sure that the fat does not get into the proteins at all. This means that the bowl of the mixer must be clean, and it is better to separate the proteins over a separate bowl, so that, in which case, the yolk does not get into the previously separated proteins.

Add a pinch of sugar from the total mass (150 g).

Beat, gradually increasing the speed.

When a fluffy foam forms, you can gradually pour in the remaining sugar, continuing to beat with a mixer.

When the proteins are well whipped, they will acquire a glossy appearance and persistent peaks. Do not stop beating until the mass is really very stable.

Gently add 4 teaspoons of starch, corn starch is preferred as it has no aftertaste. Gently, with a silicone spatula, mix the mass so that the starch is evenly distributed.

Draw a 16 cm circle on the parchment.

Lay out the entire mass within the resulting circle.

Use a spatula or spoon to form the desired shape. I decided to make something like a volcano with a small indentation for the stuffing. You can cook 2-3 flat "cakes". In this case, draw a few circles.

We bake in an oven preheated to 90 degrees, mode top-bottom + convection. This will help dry the meringue better. My workpiece with a diameter of 16 cm and a height of about 5, was baked for 2 hours. If you are in a hurry, make the blanks thinner or increase the temperature. It is not worth raising above 120, the meringue will quickly turn yellow. When the dessert is ready (there should be a dense dry crust outside), turn off the oven and leave the product inside until it cools completely.

As a filling, there is a classic combination - mascarpone cheese and fresh berries / fruits. So I took 250 grams of cheese and about 30 grams of powdered sugar. Just beat with a mixer until smooth. You can use thick sour cream or any other cream, decide for yourself, the main thing is that it is not too sweet.

Do you want to cook something new, but at the same time do not want to bother with complicated recipes? We bring to your attention the famous in Australia and New Zealand dessert with fresh berries and fruits, which is based on the usual meringue. Yes, at first glance, nothing special, but this dish is already about a century old, and it is still wildly popular, moreover, it has many variations of recipes.

The Pavlova cake recipe belongs to the easy cooking level, so you can easily cook it yourself at home, in addition, we have prepared a detailed step-by-step recipe for this delicious dish for you.

The history of the creation of the Pavlova cake

By the way, the Pavlova cake has a very interesting history of appearance. This cake is named after the famous Russian ballet dancer, who lived in the early 19th century, Anna Pavlovna Pavlova. And the Australian chef Herbert Sachs came up with this dessert, since in those years, Anna Pavlova gave performances in Western Australia, which was the greatest event for Australia.

In honor of Anna, sweets, perfumes, and clothing brands were named after her. Anna Pavlova herself tasted this new dish, and she really liked it, of course, she was not opposed to the meringue and fresh fruit cake bearing her name. And so the Pavlova cake appeared, which to this day is very popular in Australia and New Zealand. By the way, New Zealand also claims to be the home country of this dessert. But now, of course, it is not known exactly where and at what time the idea of creating this dessert arose, especially since the tour of the famous ballerina took place almost simultaneously in these countries.

Secrets in making a cake in honor of Anna Pavlova

The main secret in the preparation of this dessert is the correct meringue. The Pavlova meringue cake should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; unfortunately, not everyone succeeds in achieving such a result. But don't worry, we will share all the secrets.

Firstly, meringue proteins must be beaten to lush and elastic peaks. And it’s better to start preparing dessert one day before the scheduled tea party, so your meringue will dry out overnight and become more crispy.
Secondly, do not cover the Pavlova meringue cake with fruit or syrup immediately after baking, it is better to do this shortly before serving.
Another secret, it is better to use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar for meringues. If you do not have icing sugar, then you can cook it yourself, just grind granulated sugar in a coffee grinder or blender.
The classic Pavlova cake recipe contains corn starch and vinegar, “but why” - you ask, we answer, it is these two components that are responsible for the crispy crust and softness inside. In the preparation of meringue, it is important not to overexpose it, if droplets of syrup appear on the surface of the meringue, then you still overexposed the pastries.

Pavlova cake recipe step by step

Now we go directly to the cooking process, and we hope our diagram and step-by-step instructions will help you prepare a light and airy dessert.

Meringue Ingredients:

Egg whites - 6 pcs.
Powdered sugar - 300 gr.
Cornstarch - 4 tsp
Wine vinegar - 1.5 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Vanillin - on the tip of a knife.

Ingredients for whipped cream and decorations:

Fatty cream (35%) - 350 ml.
Powdered sugar - 4 tsp
Berries, fruits - to taste.

Cooking cake "Anna Pavlova":

Separate the whites from the yolks. Yolks are not required in this recipe, you can completely remove them.
Take a clean and dry container for whipping egg whites. This is extremely important, since even a small drop of moisture or fat can ruin everything.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks, gradually add powdered sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. And keep mixing everything thoroughly.
Turn on the oven and heat it up to 120 degrees. Take baking paper and spread it with a spoon of meringue on paper, imitating a white bowl, that is, make the edges higher, and in the middle there is a small depression.
Bake the “bowl” for about an hour and a half, continuously monitoring the process so as not to overexpose the meringue in the oven. Do not immediately take out the baking sheet, let the "cup" cool down right in the oven.
While the meringue is baking, make the cream. Whip cream with powdered sugar until thick.
When the meringue is ready, fill the resulting indentation with this buttercream, and put your favorite berries and fruits on top.

Pavlova cake, step by step recipe with photo

Ingredients:

Eggs (or egg white) 4 pcs.
Sugar 200g
Starch 1 tsp
For cream:
Cream 33% 250ml
Sugar (or powdered sugar) 50g
Curd cheese (optional) 140g

For decoration

Fruits, berries

Pavlova mini cake recipe

Separate the whites from the yolks. This must be done very carefully so that not a drop of the yolk gets into the protein. Dishes must be clean and dry. Eggs, dishes and whisks of the mixer should be cooled first.
Beat the meringue mass with a mixer at high speed for about 10-15 minutes.
When the whites are whipped into foam, gradually pour in the sugar, without ceasing to beat.
To make egg whites whip better, you can add a pinch of salt or lemon juice.
When the mass has become homogeneous and thick, add starch and beat for a few more minutes.
I used a piping bag and a star tip to line the "baskets".
The mass can also be spread with a spoon or use a sweat bag with a cut corner.
For convenience, we put the bag with the nozzle in a tall glass and after that we fill it with protein mass.
We plant the baskets on a baking sheet covered with parchment, forming the sides.
We send it to the oven preheated to 150 degrees, reduce the temperature to 100-110 degrees for 40-60 minutes. The cooking time also depends on the oven. If after the specified time the meringue is still soft, you can turn off the oven and leave our baskets in it until completely cooled (1.5-2 hours).
When the meringue is ready, take it out. Cool.
For the cream, beat the cream with sugar until thick, add the curd cheese and beat again for a couple of minutes until smooth.
Cream must be taken at least 33%, otherwise they will not be whipped to a density. If you don't find high fat cream, you can use 22% and cream thickener. Curd cheese can be removed from the recipe and only cream can be used.
Transfer to a pastry bag with a nozzle.
We spread the cream on the baskets.
Decorate with fruits and berries to taste.

Pavlova cakes This is a delicious, wonderful and stylish dessert. Such mini cakes are perfect for a buffet table, and for an ordinary feast and for a children's holiday. Cooking will not work without a good mixer, because most of the time we will beat the mass. Strongly whipped squirrels will not fall off, the peaks will hold tight. And there are no liquid proteins at the bottom.

Cake Anna Pavlova

Compound:

100 g egg white
a pinch of salt
170 g powdered sugar
vanilla on the tip of a knife
1 tbsp (10 g) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 g) lemon juice
200 ml cream 33% fat
25 g powdered sugar
strawberries, kiwi (raspberries, bananas, peaches and any other berries)
calorie content - in 100 g - 258 kcal

Dessert Pavlova step by step

On tracing paper or baking paper I draw 6 circles with a diameter of 8 cm.

Add a pinch of salt to room temperature proteins and beat with a mixer until a stable foam. Without interrupting the beating, I gradually add 170 g of powdered sugar mixed with a pinch of vanillin. I beat for 5 minutes until a glossy stable mass is obtained.

I add starch and lemon juice. Thanks to the starch, meringue gets a crispy crust on the outside and remains soft on the inside when baking. This is its difference from the classic meringue. I mix with a mixer on low speed.

I shift the protein mass into a pastry bag with a nozzle.

I spread the tracing paper on a baking sheet with the painted side down. I form blanks with a small side. To do this, I make 2 layers of a full circle from the protein mass, and on top - only along the edge. I will then spread whipped cream into the resulting recesses.

I put the blanks in an oven preheated to 110 degrees at an average level (I have heating from above and below). I bake for 1 hour.

At this time, I cut the strawberries and kiwi into long pieces.

After an hour, I turn off the oven, slightly open the door (important!) And leave the workpieces to cool completely. Once again I will say that the right blanks should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

While the blanks are cooling in the oven, whip the chilled cream into a stable foam. I usually don't add powdered sugar to cream, as meringues and fruits are quite sweet. But if you wish, you can do this by adding 25 g of powdered sugar.

IMPORTANT! The dessert is collected just before serving, as the meringue absorbs moisture very quickly and loses its quality. Baked meringues can be stored until the next day, if needed, in a dry place.

I fill the meringue blanks with whipped cream. If the middle is baked, then hit with a spoon to break and free the middle.

And I decorate with pieces of berries and kiwi.

You can sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top for beauty.

Airy delicious cake Anna Pavlova is ready, serve immediately! Enjoy!

Video recipe - Dessert Pavlova

If desired, you can make Pavlova cakes - miniature elegant meringues will add a touch of sophistication. The cooking process is the same, you just need to spread the protein mass on a baking sheet in portions.

In any of the options, the taste of dessert will deliver a fabulous pleasure, filling with lightness and romance. It is no coincidence that Bert Sasha, having prepared it, exclaimed with delight: “The same air as Pavlova!”