Authentic Pavlova Recipe New Zealand, Australia and Oceania

Most commonly served in Australia and New Zealand as a part of Christmas dinner and for other festive occasions, pavlova — or the pav, as they tend to call it — requires simple yet fresh and quality ingredients and some skill for its preparation. The base of a pavlova is made with egg whites, caster sugar, cornflour, lemon juice, or other acids (such as vinegar or tartaric acid), and vanilla extract, which are mixed until peaks are formed. It is then baked at a low temperature to become crunchy on the outside and marshmallow-like on the inside and carefully cooled in a turned-off oven, with the door ajar. It is essential that the base of a pavlova does not get in touch with cool air at this point since that may cause it to drop. The dried and cooled base is covered with whipped cream and sliced fruit — the usual combination includes strawberries, bananas, kiwis, and passion fruit.