This Christmas Pavlova Wreath is my favourite and go to Christmas Dessert. It doesn't feel festive until I have made one of these beautiful Pavlovas. It is absolutely and completely delicious.
This is a real show stopper of a dessert. Just what you want to put on your Christmas Table for lot's of "Oooohs and Aaahs.". Everyone loves a Pavlova right?
On top of all that it is really quite simple to put together. You can even make it ahead. At a time that is fraught enough it really is just what is required.
Christmas Boom right there for you.
Is It Ok To Make Pavlova The Day Before?
Absolutely. I make the meringue ring ahead and leave it covered on it's serving plate completely but not tightly in silver foil.
I add the whipped cream and berries just before serving as they will soften the meringue and the juice will bleed into the cream.
I do whip the cream beforehand and simply leave in the fridge covered to
You can do that up to 48 hours beforehand although I have only made this 24 hours ahead.
It is best to not store in the fridge because it will soften the meringue.
There is a full recipe card at the bottom of this post with exact ingredients and instructions.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Frozen Berries - I use summer fruits but you can use whatever you have or like.
Fresh Raspberries - or again whatever you want to use up or like.
Double Cream - it needs to be either double or whipping cream.
Egg Whites - separated carefully from the yolks.
Sugar - caster is best as it dissolves easier but granulated will work you may need to whisk it for longer to get it to dissolve enough.
Corn flour
Recipe Steps
- Preheat your oven to 150 C/fan 130 C- 300 F-Gas Mark 2
- Separate your eggs carefully making sure that NO egg yolk mixes into the whites. I do this by using 2 mugs to allow me to do each egg one at a time, only pouring the new egg white into the mixing bowl if the egg yolk has remained intact. The egg yolks then can be saved for another recipe.
- Whisk them for a minute in a free standing mixer or with an electric hand whisk. They will become frothy and aerated.
- Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time so as to make sure the sugar gets dissolved as you keep whisking. Its a bit of a pain in the wotsit but it doesn't take that long.
- The egg whites will become thick and glossy. They need to be really, really thick. Once you have got the trick of how thick then you will be a meringue devotee because that is the whole secret to them but until then the old, thick enough not to fall out of the bowl if tipped upside down, is a really good indicator of when they are done. Add the corn flour and whisk again.
- Line a flat baking tray with baking paper (not greaseproof paper) or a silicone liner. Baking paper is easier to remove at the end mind.
- I use a bowl but can also simple make a ring with your meringue by eye. My bowl measures 12 cm in diameter. I spoon my meringue around it and then remove the bowl. It's not the easiest to do in terms of meringue getting on your bowl when you remove it but you can scrape the meringue off the bowl when removed and sculpt it back onto your ring. It's the round outline that you want the bowl for, you can clean up the ring after the bowl removal.
- Bake for an hour.
- Whilst the meringue is baking whip your cream until it is thick but not starting to look clumpy and curd like. Its game over if you go that far with it. However here is a remedy for over whipped cream. Put your cream in the fridge covered.
- I use frozen berries because it's easier than trying to buy a whole load of berries fresh around christmas time when the supermarkets are rammed. I do try to add some fresh raspberries if I can but you don't need many. It just helps the pavlova look better as the stewed fruits are slightly mushy.
- Tip the frozen berries in a saucepan along with the sugar and gently heat the lot until the sugar melts. Don't stir them much as you don't want to break down the fruit. Set aside to cool.
- When your pavlova is baked remove from the oven and very carefully peel off the baking paper. I'm not going to lie this is the most difficult bit. It is easy at this point to break the meringue so go steady and carefully and may the pavlova be with you. I do this close to the serving plate I am going to be using so I can slide it onto there as I go.
- As I mentioned previously the meringue ring is completely make ahead. If I have made it a day beforehand then I will carefully and not too tightly, cover it completely in cling film. I feel this is the best way to keep the crispness. If it gets moist at all it will soften and you want crisp outer and fluffy inner christmas people.
- When you are ready to serve then crown the ring with your whipped cream and spoon on your berries. I add the fresh raspberries at this stage. You will have berry juice left over in the pan. I spoon some over and keep the rest back to spoon over individual portions if requested.
Top Tips
- Break your egg whites into separate bowls as you separate each egg one at a time. This will save all your remaining whites from getting contaminated if your egg yolk breaks as you are separating.
- Make sure you whisk the egg whites and sugar until they are super thick and shiny.
- Don't stir the berries too much in the pan.
- Use fresh raspberries to increase the pavlovas curb appeal!
- To get ahead make your christmas pavlova 24 hours ahead and decorate when you are ready to serve.
If you like this recipe then you may like these
Chocolate and Raspberry Pavlova
White Chocolate and Raspberry Roulade
White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake
Christmas Pavlova Wreath
Ingredients
- 5 medium egg whites
- 300 grams unrefined caster sugar
- 1 tsp cornflour
Topping
- 400 grams mixed berries frozen
- 50 grams caster sugar
- 500 mls double cream
- 150 grams fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 150 C/fan 130 C- 300 F-Gas Mark 2. Seperate your egg whites carefully, see tips.
- Whip up the egg whites in a free standing mixer or mixing bowl and electric whisk. Whisk until frothy and quite stiff.
- Add the sugar by the tablespoon. It is quite a pain but necessary. Whip until the meringue is very stiff and glossy. About five minutes.
- Using a bowl on a lined, (I use bake o glide but baking paper is easier to remove), baking tray pile the meringue around the bowl in a circle. Then carefully remove the bowl. Your fingers will get covered in meringue but sculpt the meringue back afterwards. Flatten the top of the pavlova a little to form a wide enough platform for the berries and cream.
- Bake in the oven for an hour and fifteen minutes. Remove and leave to cool gently. If poss leave it in the oven after you have switched it off and let it cool there.
- In a saucepan place the frozen berries and the 50 grams of caster sugar.Heat gently until the sugar has melted. Taste to see if more sugar is needed. Allow to cool and add the raspberries.
- Whip the cream until soft peaks. Be careful not to over whip.
- Once the pavlova is cool, carefully peel off the liner and transfer to serving platter. Be brave! The cream will hide a multitude of sins.
- Carefully pile on the cream, followed by the berries. If you are serving later in the day, leave the berries off until then or they may bleed like a drunken women's lipstick (mine) into the cream.
- Apply Most Of It To Face
Notes
- Break your egg whites into separate bowls as you separate each egg one at a time. This will save all your remaining whites from getting contaminated if your egg yolk breaks as you are separating.
- Make sure you whisk the egg whites and sugar until they are super thick and shiny.
- Don't stir the berries too much in the pan.
- Use fresh raspberries to increase the pavlovas curb appeal!
- To get ahead make your christmas pavlova 24 hours ahead and decorate when you are ready to serve.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
Do let me know how you get on in the comments below or come on over and follow me on my social media pages. I would love to hear from you.
Recipes Made Easy
I so havent got my Christmas sh.t together! I haven't even put up a single decoration yet. Mind you my blog tells a different story of all the lovely yumminess I'm going to make. Only problem being I've already made it for the blog and its been eaten already. But If I don't find time to make a meringue dessert like this I may be given the boot. I think they would rather I didn't cook the turkey in our house than not make a pavlova or similar. Hope you catch up with everything and thank you for finding the time to link up to #CookBlogShare. Have a fabulous Christmas. J x
applytofaceblog
I thought you had it all nailed with your fab festive pictures!!Hope you pulled it all together in the end.Have a wonderful 2018!xx
Kate - gluten free alchemist
Ha ha! If you can manage to make a dessert this good, then you are doing fine and who cares about the turkey anyway? There's always beans on toast (and hopefully wine..... lots of it!). Hope you had a great Christmas and all the best for 2018 x
applytofaceblog
Thankyou and the same to you!I need to stay on the beans on toast for the next two months ???