Summer peach pavlova

The meringue crown of Australian summer, piled with cream and ripe peaches

Origin: Australia

From the journey of Peach.

The pavlova is the great shared dessert of Australia and New Zealand: a cloud of baked meringue with a crisp shell and marshmallow-soft centre, crowned with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Its creation is hotly disputed between the two nations, with both claiming it was made in honour of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova during her tour of the Pacific in 1926. The Australian summer pavlova; made at Christmas, at New Year's, at every outdoor lunch of the season; is typically piled with kiwifruit, passionfruit, and strawberries, but the summer peach has an equally strong claim as the defining Australian pavlova fruit. When the Goulburn Valley's stone fruit season peaks in late December and January; when the peaches from the orchards of Shepparton and Cobram are at their most fragrant and ripe: the combination of a slightly warm meringue, cold whipped cream, and fresh sliced peaches is among the best things to eat in an Australian summer. This is a generous pavlova: a large, slightly domed meringue disc, thick with cream, generously covered with ripe yellow and white peaches at their peak.

Ingredients

Meringue

  • 6 egg whites, at room temperature
  • 300 g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

  • 400 ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 ripe yellow peaches, stoned and sliced
  • 2 ripe white peaches, stoned and sliced (if available)
  • 2 tbsp passionfruit pulp (optional, for acidity)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 130°C (110°C fan). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and draw a 24cm circle on the paper (use a dinner plate as a guide). Turn the paper over so the pencil mark faces down.
  2. In a scrupulously clean bowl (any fat will prevent the whites from whipping), beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with an electric mixer. Gradually add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating continuously, until the meringue is thick, glossy, and stands in firm stiff peaks; the sugar should be fully dissolved. This will take 8–10 minutes.
  3. Gently fold in the vinegar, cornflour, and vanilla with a large metal spoon.
  4. Spoon the meringue onto the circle on the prepared baking sheet. Shape into a slightly domed round with a slight hollow in the centre using the back of a spoon. The sides should be vertical and the top slightly concave to hold the cream and fruit.
  5. Bake at 130°C for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes; the meringue should be crisp and dry on the outside and lightly cream-coloured rather than white. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside with the door slightly ajar until completely cool, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  6. Whip the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to soft, cloud-like peaks. Pile generously onto the cooled meringue.
  7. Arrange the sliced peaches over the cream: a combination of yellow and white varieties makes a beautiful presentation. Spoon over the passionfruit pulp if using, for a hit of acidity that lifts the sweetness of the meringue.
  8. Serve immediately; pavlova does not wait. Bring it to the table, slice with a large knife, and eat at once.

Notes

The meringue base can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate the untopped meringue; humidity will soften the crust. Top with cream and fruit no more than 1 hour before serving.

The Gastrographer

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